Who is the current governor of Lagos State? Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu.
It may be a surprise to say that there are many Lagosians who know very little or nothing at all about the governor of their beloved State.
However, this will expose them to who the man is; his profile, achievements, challenges, and other important facts.
This megacity of Lagos has seen and experienced several political tenures and military regimes, from the time of Brigadier Mobolaji Johnson on the 27th of May 1967 to the present day administration of Gov.
Sanwo-Olu came into office in May 2019.
Here are the past governors of Lagos State.
Brief Profile Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu
| Date of birth | 25th June 1965 |
| Political party | All progressive congress |
| Education | University of Lagos, London business school, Lagos business school, institute of management development, John F Kennedy School of Government. |
| Profession | Current Governor, Lagos state |
| Wife | Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
He was Born on the 25th of June 1965 in Lagos Nigeria. He is a Nigerian politician and the current governor of Lagos state under the auspices of all progressive Peoples congress after contesting and unexpected winning against the then gov. Ambode.
He was the managing director and Ceo of the Lagos state development property corporation. And is aged 55. He is married to Dr. Ibijioke and has children.
Education
Educationally, he is sound, having attended some of the most renowned institutions of academic learning within and outside the country. Gov. Sanwo-Olu is a graduate of the London Business school and the Lagos business school.
He also has a Bs.c in surveying and an MBA from the University of Lagos.
He is an alumnus of the John F Kennedy school of government with several other certificates to his Curriculum Vitae. He is a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of training and development.
He never stops learning; it aligns with the adage ‘we never stop learning.
His excellency is also an associate member of the chartered institute of personal management. His thirst for knowledge has taken him to several continents of the world including the likes of Europe.
Religion
His excellency, Gov. Sanw-Olu of Lagos state was born Christian and still a Christian of the Yoruba family of Paulinus Olusegun of Popoaguda Brazilian descendant area of Lagos state.
He is also married according to the doctrines of the Christian faith and has tried to live by the Christian doctrines including humanities.
Career
He started his career in the Banking sector, and was the treasurer of the former Lead merchant bank between 1994-1997, and later moved to the United Bank of Africa as the head of the foreign Money market.
He has worked with the first Finland bank now known as the first city monument bank and served as the division head and deputy general manager.
His interest in public service pushed him into the political scene and began his career as the adviser on corporate matters to then deputy governor of Lagos state Pedro Femi based on appointment.
He was later appointed as the commissioner for establishments, training, and pensions by former governor Babatunde Fashola.
The LAGBUS system was later established based on his directives alongside the control and command centers in Alausa. He was the pioneer chairman of the Lagos security trust fund. He has served in many public offices.
Sanwo-Olu In Politics
His intention to contest for the gubernatorial position of Lagos was made known on the 16th of September 2018 under the All Progressive Congress against the incumbent Governor Akinwumi Ambode.
He was endorsed by many major stakeholders including the governor’s advisory council of the Lagos state chapter of the APC.
He won the party primaries making him eligible for the election and later got the support of Ambode Akinwumi at the political rally.
He won the election against his major opponent Jimi Agbaje and was sworn in as the 15th governor of Lagos. He has recently asked that the statue of the late musical legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti which be erected by then gov.
Ambode is removed from Allen avenue Ikeja and be relocated to a more convenient area to ease the traffic on the busy streets of Ikeja alongside other landslide development.
Awards
Having worked in both the banking and public service, he has received several outstanding awards, among which are:
- 2009 best human capital development award by the industrial training fund
- Platinum award from the Lagos state public service club
- Award of Merit from the association of professional women engineers of Nigeria
- LSDPC impactful leadership and recognition award
Major Controversies Of The Sanwo-Olu Led Administration
For every leader, there is always a challenging moment of leadership especially for the office of the governor of a megacity. Some of the controversies and trying moments of the Sanwo-Olu led administration include:
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The Lekki Killings
The governor had imposed a 24hour curfew during the massive wave of EndSars protests in the country and was subsequently extended to begin at 9 am.
There was a sporadic shooting of people by members of the armed forces and an unconfirmed number of people were killed on 20th October 2020.
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The Covid19 Saga
Also, during the covid 19 pandemic, Lagos state was hit by the coronavirus which led to a total lockdown of the state among other states in the country and world.
A substantial amount of relief material was released to Lagos state, in April 2020; Sanwo-Olu was reportedly accused of mishandling these funds, and the opposition PDP called that an inquiry be made concerning the expenditure.
Five Facts About The Lagos State Governor Sanwo-Olu
Well here are five things you most probably never knew about the Lagos state governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
- He was a renowned banker before venturing into politics between 1994 and 1997
- He is a member of the Ikoyi Club, the island club and the clear essence health club
- Sanwo-Olu won in all the local government areas during his governorship election
- He served as Babtunde’s commissioner for establishment, training, and pensions between 2007 and 2015
- He was the chairman of Baywatch group which is a multi-faceted company and has an interest in property development and human capital development.
Sanwo-Olu can be said to be a persona driven by excellence in the city’s center of excellence.
He strives for the best and he is deep coated into developments and more being in a state of high economic importance to Africa than his experience in the banking industry is of use to Lagos state, Nigeria.