Profile
Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu (born June 25, 1965) is a Nigerian politician and the current Governor of Lagos State. Mr. Sanwo-Olu was announced under the platform of the All Progressives Congress after contesting and unexpectedly winning the gubernatorial primaries under the All Progressives Congress against incumbent Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State in October 2018. He is a graduate of the University of Lagos, as well as the London Business School, Lagos Business School and the John F. Kennedy School of Government. Before his gubernatorial ambition, he was the managing director and CEO of Lagos State Property Development Corporation (LSPDC).
Personal Life
Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu is married to Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu.
Education
| Name of School | Degree | Year |
| University Of Lagos | Surveying | |
| John F. Kennedy School of Government | ||
| London Business School | ||
| Lagos Business School |
Work History
Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu was the treasurer at former Lead Merchant Bank from 1994 to 1997 after which he moved to the United Bank for Africa as the head of foreign money market. He then proceeded to First Inland Bank, Plc (now First City Monument Bank) as a deputy general manager and divisional head. He was the chairman of Baywatch Group Limited and First Class Group Limited.
Political History
On 16 September 2018, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu formally declared his intention to run for the office of the governor of Lagos State under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Party, making him a major contender to the incumbent governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
His declaration attracted endorsements from major stakeholders in Lagos State politics; including the Governor’s Advisory Council of the Lagos chapter of the All Progressives Congress and members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, which led to withdrawal of Dr. Femi Hamzat, a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress APC in Lagos from the gubernatorial race.
He won the Lagos gubernatorial primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on 2 October 2018. At the APC flag-off campaign rally held on 8 January 2019, Governor of Lagos, Akinwunmi Ambode, and 63 political parties lent their support for the candidacy of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu. In a landslide victory over his opponent, Jimi Agbaje, Sanwo-Olu was elected to the Office of Governor of Lagos State at the 2019 General elections for Lagos State which held on 9 March 2019. He was sworn in as the 15th Governor of Lagos State at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) Lagos Island on Wednesday May 29, 2019.
He has been working on different development activities, one of which is road construction across major areas in Lagos state. Recently, Babajide Sanwoolu asked that the statue of Fela Kuti that was erected by Akinwunmi Ambode be removed from Allen Avenue in Ikeja as he to ease the situation of traffic in that area. However, the statue is said to be relocated to a more convenient area in Lagos state.
Leadership Style/Philosophy
Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s political philosophy is one based on public service.
Awards & Honours
Platinum award from the Lagos State Public Service Club.
2009 Best in Human Capital Development award from the Industrial Training Fund (ITF).
Merit award from the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria.
Merit award from the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management in Nigeria (CIPMN).
Merit Award from the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN).
LSDPC Impactful Leadership and Recognition Award.
Project
Major Projects:
Road Construction Across Major Areas In Lagos State
Criticism/Controversy
- In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sanwo-Olu was reported to have mismanaged relief funds for the pandemic. The PDP opposition party called for an enquiry into the expenditure.
- On 20 October, during the End SARS protests, the governor imposed a 24-hour curfew starting at 4 p.m., which was subsequently extended to begin at 9 p.m. Just before 7 p.m., soldiers and policemen were deployed to disband the protests. This led to the shooting and killing of an unconfirmed number of protesters, leaving others injured.
