Sanwo-Olu Charges New Fellows to Drive Public Sector Innovation

​IKEJA — Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has challenged young leaders to leverage public sector training to drive systemic change, speaking at the combined graduation and induction ceremony of the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy (LJLA).

​The Friday evening event, held in Ikeja, marked the formal graduation of 30 bright minds from the 2025/2026 fellowship year alongside the induction of a fresh batch of 30 incoming fellows for the 2026/2027 cohort.

​Addressing the gathering, Governor Sanwo-Olu emphasized that the institution was deliberately established to bridge the persistent gap between the aspirations of brilliant young Nigerians and the intricate realities of public sector governance. He noted that the academy is structured as a permanent legacy asset for the state, designed to transcend individual political administrations or transient budgetary constraints.

​Highlighting the intense competition for slots—with over 16,000 applications received for the latest cycle—the Governor urged the newly inducted fellows to lean into unfamiliar challenges, foster cross-disciplinary collaborations, and maintain a high appetite for service, even when starting from the ground up. He further stressed the necessity of establishing clear, unhindered pathways from leadership training directly into active governance roles.

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​Echoing similar sentiments, Deputy Governor Dr. Obafemi Hamzat advised the inductees to cultivate agility by mastering the art of learning, unlearning, and relearning. He challenged them to harness emerging technologies fearlessly to solve contemporary societal challenges while mirroring the impactful legacy of Lagos State’s first civilian governor, the late Alhaji Lateef Jakande.

​Executive Secretary of the Academy, Mrs. Ayisat Agbaje-Okunade, lauded the state leadership for providing the political backing required to scale the institution’s impact. She reiterated that the academy’s ultimate benchmark is translating acquired experiences into tangible career growth and institutional leadership.

​Delivering the keynote address, corporate leader and strategist Mr. Hakeem Bello-Osagie urged the rising leaders to chart authentic paths rather than simply following the crowd, encouraging them to view calculated failures as essential stepping stones toward resilience.

​The ceremony featured the presentation of completion certificates to the outgoing cohort, special recognition awards for dedicated state leadership, and renewed commitments from stakeholders to sustain youth inclusion across public governance structures in Lagos State.