Who is the current deputy governor of Lagos State?
Lagos State is one of the politically active States is not just the south-western region alone, but the whole country. It was the center of Nigeria’s political power and struggle during the colonial era.
It has also produced some of the finest and astute political, traditional, and even religious figures in the country.
Current And Past Deputy Governors Of Lagos State
Having said that, this expose is focusing on the office and personality of the current deputy governor of Lagos State. We are going to explore his life, profile, education, career, and achievements in both the public and private terrain.
However, before that, we are going to explain the functionality of the deputy governor as an elected political official.
Who Is A Deputy Governor?
A Deputy Governor in general terms is any person that occupies the seat of the second-highest office of any State Government in Nigeria. He/she acts as the subordinate to the Governor of the State.
The selection is carried out through a primary election process where the deputy governor is picked as a running mate by the gubernatorial nominee of any part.
The deputy governor deputizes in the absence of the governor of the State. Or could step in acting capacity whenever the chief executive officer of the state is absent from administrative duties in the state.
We are not going to talk about the current Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Femi Hamzat. Pay attention!
Who Is Femi Hamzat?
Femi Hamzat is the current Deputy Governor of Lagos State, elected in the 2019 general elections. He was elected under the umbrella of the All Progressive Congress (APC), as a running mate to Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Before climbing to this elevated position of Deputy Governor, he served in various capacities in the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Babatunde Fashiola.
He also worked briefly in the private sector before joining the political band.
Now you know who the deputy governor of Lagos State is, we delve more into his educational background, career, and achievements. And also how he became the deputy governor
His Profile And Educational Background
He was born on the 19th day of September 1964 in Lagos State, Nigeria to his parents of blessed memory, Oba Mufutau Olatunji Hamzat,
and Alhaja Kehinde Hamzat. They both hailed from Iga Egbe, Lagos State.
Worthy of mention is the fact Femi Hamzat was born and raised in a family that has both political and royal undertones.
His father was once a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly and a member of the Lagos State Executive Council as Commissioner for Transportation from 1979 to 1983.
He later became the Vice-Chairman of the South West Alliance for Democracy (AD).
His father was also made a king because of his maternal royal ancestry. However, before that, he was the leader of the Lagos West Senatorial District for Action Congress.
Femi Hamzat had a sound educational background in Nigeria and Abroad. He began his educational pursuit as a young child at the Odu-Abore Memorial Primary School, Mushin, Lagos State.
After his primary education, he proceeded to Olivet Baptist High School, Oyo State for his secondary education.
After his secondary education, he immediately gained admission at the prestigious University of Ibadan, where he studied Agricultural Engineering and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1986. And a Master’s degree in 1988.
He traveled to England where he enrolled at Cranfield University to pursue his Ph.D. program. In 1992, he was awarded a Ph.D. in System Process Engineering by the university.
Career
After arming himself to teeth with knowledge from within and outside the shores of the country, Femi Hamzat worked in various places and occupied different positions.
The places include;
- RTP Consulting Services
- Columbia University
- Merrill Lynch Inc
- Morgan Stanley
- Oando Plc
While at Oando Plc, he held the position of the company’s Chief Information Officer and Group Head IT Strategist.
Having been raised in a politically active family, Femi followed in his father’s footsteps. He joined politics.
Political Career
His first taste of political waters came when the administration of the former governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed him the Commissioner for Science and Technology in 2015.
Because of proven track records, the administration of Babatunde Fashola retained him in 2007.
He initiated some programs that boosted the workings and operations of the State’s civil service.
He introduced and enforced the usage of modern technology in the entire state’s ministries, which emphasized adequate date and record keeping.
This initiative led to the complete elimination of ghost workers with the Lagos State Government’s payroll.
In 2015, Babatunde Fashola, Nigeria’s Minister for Works, Power, and Housing called upon him to come and serve as his Special Adviser on Works.
This he accepted and served the minister judiciously until 2018.
He resigned in 2018 following his ambition and interest to vie for the office of the governor in the Lagos State guber race.
He contested to represent the APC as its gubernatorial flagbearer in the 2019 general elections in Lagos State. However, he stepped aside for Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who would later clinch the party’s ticket.
He instead became Sanwo-Olu’s running mate. They both represented the party at the 2019 general election and went on to win the election.
Femi Hamzat was declared Deputy Governor-Elect of Lagos State by INEC on the 10th March 2019 after the general elections.
He was awarded a certificate of Return as outline in the Nation’s electoral laws.
Awards Won
Throughout his service in both the private and public sectors, Femi Hamzat won some awards, but worthy of mention was the one he won in 2013.
He emerged as the winner of the 5ht edition of the Lagos State Man of the Year Awards.
List of Lagos State Deputy Governors From 1999 To-Date
Before he became the Deputy Governor of Lagos State in 2019, others have served in that capacity. They are:
- Kofoworola Bucknor from 1999 – 2003
- Femi Padro from 2003 – 2007
- Sarah Adebisi Sosan from 2007 – 2011
- Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire from 2011 – 2015
- Oluranti Adebule from 2015 – 2019
- Femi Hamzat from 2019 – date
There you have it. A list of the current and past Lagos deputy governors.