Sanwo-Olu: Biography, career, achievements, controversies, net worth

Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu is the current Governor of Lagos State.

He unexpectedly defeated incumbent Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial primaries in October 2019 to win the guber ticket. 

Biography 

Sanwo-Olu is from Lagos State in Nigeria, born on June 25, 1965, into a Christian household. Sanwo-Olu attended secondary school and then graduated from the University of Lagos with a BSc in Surveying. He graduated from the Lagos Business School, the London Business School, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government. 

He is a fellow of the Nigeria Institute of Training and Development (NITAD) and an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM).

Career 

From 1994 to 1997, Sanwo-Olu served as the treasurer at the former Lead Merchant Bank. He then moved to the United Bank for Africa to serve as the head of the foreign money market. Afterward, he worked as a divisional head and deputy general manager at First Inland Bank, Plc (now First City Monument Bank). He served as chairman at First Class Group Limited and Baywatch Group Limited.

In 2003, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu was appointed Deputy Governor Femi Pedro’s special adviser on corporate matters, marking the beginning of his political career. Later, he was appointed as the interim commissioner for economic planning and budget until 2007, when Bola Tinubu, the then-governor, named him the commissioner for commerce and industry. Governor Babatunde Fashola chose Sanwo-Olu to serve as the Commissioner for Establishments, Training, and Pensions following the 2007 general elections.

In 2016, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode appointed Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu as managing director/CEO of the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC).

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Governor 

Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu officially announced his desire to run for Governor of Lagos State on September 16 under the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform. 

Major players 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, supported him after he made his announcement, which forced Dr. Femi Hamzat, a candidate for Governor running on the platform of the All Progressives Congress APC in Lagos, to withdraw from the race.

On October 2, 2018, he triumphed in the All Progressives Congress primaries. Akinwunmi Ambode, the Governor of Lagos, and 63 political parties supported Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s candidacy during the APC flag-off event on January 8, 2019.

Sanwo-Olu was elected to the office of Governor of Lagos State in the 2019 election, which took place on March 9, 2019, with a resounding victory over his rival, Jimi Agbaje. On Wednesday, May 29, 2019, he took the oath of office as the 15th Governor of Lagos State in Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) on Lagos Island.

Achievements 

Nigerians won’t soon forget the heroic actions the Governor of Lagos State took in handling the COVID-19 outbreak in the state. While many had written off Lagos State due to its large population and high death rate that was even recorded in European nations with better medical equipment and medical personnel, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was able to lead a formidable and effective professional team that saw to the effective management of the situation, preventing what would have been a devastating pandemic in the state.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognised Nigeria as the fourth-best country in the world in terms of efforts made to lessen and contain the severe consequences of the COVID-19 epidemic.

One of his noteworthy accomplishments in the public sector includes managing projects for the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) that are being privatized. He established the Lagos Security Trust Fund and was its board’s first chairman. Subsequently, the Control & Command Center in Alausa Ikeja and the LAGBUS System were built on his orders.

Infrastructure development is one of the Governor’s more notable accomplishments. There are more than 51 significant infrastructure projects, including the Pen Cinema flyover, the Lekki Oniru Traffic Circulation Projects, the Lagos-Ogun Boundary Roads Phase II, and the network of roads in Ojokoro, Somolu, and Ikoyi, among others.

Additionally, 301 inner roads were built or renovated by his administration in the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs). It also opened the BRT lane between Oshodi and Abule Egba. Construction of the concrete paved road from Eleko Junction to Epe is still ongoing. These road constructions are to bring comfort to the citizens of Lagos State.

Babajide Sanwo-Olu has trained many young people in diverse agricultural methods through the Agricultural Value Chains Enterprise Activation Programme, greatly enhancing their ability to support themselves. 

Over 12,000 women have been trained under his watch, and he has overseen the empowerment of thousands of young people in the state along many value chains. 

Additionally, the state’s revenue inflow increased by 127% in Q1 2021. The Lagos State Government has also kept up its efforts to support and encourage more women, young people, and people in paid employment to start their own businesses and hire workers.

With the successful construction of the elevated waters crossing the track of the blue line mass transit project and the hiring of 1,017 LASTMA officers to help with traffic flow, the integrated mass transportation strategy has made significant progress in the area of public transportation as well. To improve public transportation in Lagos State, the State Government used three modes of transportation—roads, rail, and waterways.

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Controversies 

Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s bid for Governor of Lagos State had generated controversy. 

While the Governor’s Advisory Council maintains that it has cleared Sanwo-Olu to return in 2023, it is not clear whether or not the national head of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has endorsed the Governor’s second term candidacy.

Before the state’s May 23, 2022, governorship primary, there had been rumours that Tinubu had replaced Sanwo-Olu with another ally, Mustapha Olorunfemi.

Sanwo-Olu also discussed the report of the Lagos judicial panel on police brutality for the first time.

Shortly after the panel’s findings were sent to the Lagos state administration on November 15, it was leaked. The panel’s conclusions and recommendations added fuel to the fire surrounding the protesters’ deaths at the Lekki tollgate on October 20, 2020. 

The Governor stated during a press conference that the “unauthorised version” of the report’s disclosure “caused much stress” and reopened a deep wound.

Sanwo-Olu’s church

The Governor does not have a particular church he attends, however, he has attended several churches like the House on the Rock, the Methodist Church, the Catholic Church, and many others. He has even been endorsed by several Churches like the Church of Nigeria, the Methodist Church, etc. He believes God has a hand in the country and has urged many Nigerians to take church seriously and appreciate Him for keeping the country amidst the many challenges the country faces.

Net worth 

His net worth is estimated to be around $9 million.

Family 

Sanwo-Olu is married to Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu and together, they have four children. In addition to practicing medicine, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu also serves as an administrator.

Conclusion 

Throughout his career, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has won numerous honors, some of which are as follows: 

• The Lagos State Public Service Club’s Platinum Award. 
• 2009 Industrial Training Fund Award (ITF) for Best in Human Capital Development. 
• The Association of National Accountants of Nigeria bestowed this honor. 
• Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPMN), merit award. 
• Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN), Merit Award. 
• Impactful Leadership and Recognition Award from the LSDPC. 
• Media Nite-Out Governor of the Year Award (2020).

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