Dele Osinowo: Redefining Local Governance

Politics has never been about occupying an office or enjoying the privileges that come with public positions for Mayor Dele Osinowo, the APC House of Representatives candidate for Kosofe Federal Constituency. Reflecting on his seven-year journey, he gave

Adedayo Adejobi a glimpse of what local governance can achieve.

It is just after 2 p.m. when Mayor Dele Osinowo walks into his office.

 The room is almost entirely white. White walls, white furniture and clean, contemporary lines give it a quiet sense of order. Tastefully chosen artwork breaks the monotony without disrupting the minimalist aesthetic. It feels more like the office of a corporate chief executive than a politician’s workspace. Nothing is out of place; every detail appears intentional.

Osinowo settles into his chair with the ease of someone who knows every corner of the room. The conversation moves to politics, but not as an ambition fulfilled, rather as a responsibility that must continually justify itself.

“I joined politics to make a difference,” he begins. “That has always been the motivation.”

For him, politics has never been about occupying an office or enjoying the privileges that come with public positions. It has been about leaving behind measurable results such as projects, systems and institutions that outlive the tenure of the person who initiated them.

“I have always been passionate about serving the people with sincerity of purpose,” he says. “Even though we are not there yet, my administration has tried its best in alleviating the needs of the people and addressing the infrastructural gaps in Agboyi-Ketu.”

His political journey began in 1996. He left Nigeria for the United Kingdom, where he attended the University of East London and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Studies before completing a Master’s in Risk Management. Those years abroad, he says, shaped his outlook and gave him exposure to systems of governance that would later influence his approach to leadership.

When he returned to Nigeria in 2010, the political road was not immediately smooth.

“I contested, but I didn’t get the ticket then,” he recalls. “That wasn’t the end of the journey.”

Instead, he entered public service through local government administration. He was appointed Secretary to the Local Government and later became Vice Chairman of Kosofe Local Government under the late Obafemi Durosimi.

“I learned from him,” Osinowo says. “Under him, I gleaned ideas and experience in governance. By the time I became Chairman, I was fully prepared.”

That preparation became evident when he assumed office as Executive Chairman of Agboyi-Ketu LCDA.

“I did not want to start building shops or markets alone. I came to do something different, unique and iconic. Projects that would allow people to distinguish me from others.”

His administration’s most ambitious intervention was perhaps its housing programme, a project that sought to transform neglected areas while creating a sustainable development model.

In Ajelogo, some public lands had become informal markets and hideouts for criminal elements. Rather than allowing those spaces to remain liabilities, Osinowo’s administration partnered with private developers.

“We realised we had lands in Ajelogo being used as markets and criminal gang hideouts,” he explains. “We had to change the face of the community, so we reached out to developers, provided the land and went into a joint venture.”

The result was a series of housing schemes that reshaped the landscape of the community. The administration delivered 271 housing units in one development, another 240 units in a second scheme, followed by 207 units and another 256-unit project.

Three major estates, namely Greenwich Gardens, Sterling Heights and Raymond Estate, were commissioned, while Greenwich Phase II commenced in November 2024 and was completed and handed over.

For Osinowo, the housing projects were part of a broader strategy to address one of the biggest challenges facing local governments: revenue generation.

“Poor revenue generation was part of my motivation coming into office,” he says. “Because our projects are in the form of equity participation, on completion each partner gets their units. What we get forms part of our revenue.”

His administration also embraced technology to modernise revenue collection. A GPS-based mapping system was introduced to identify commercial properties across the LCDA, bringing transparency and accountability into the process.

“All lock-up shops, car wash centres and commercial buildings in the local government have coordinates. We can easily know businesses that have paid.”

The system, he explains, eliminated duplication and simplified payments.

“We’ve simplified revenue collection, and there is no double taxation. Once you pay, it goes into our account directly and shows on the platform what you have paid.”

The impact was significant.

“Six years ago, we were making about N50 million per annum in IGR, which could not do anything,” he says. “Aside from annual tenement rate payments, LASAA, wharf landing, land use charge and other lump-sum payments, our IGR revenue increased significantly. Before I left, we attained 100 per cent growth.”

He is quick to acknowledge that the achievement was collective.

“The effort is not only from me, but my entire administration.”

Beyond housing and revenue reforms, Osinowo’s seven-year tenure was defined by a broad infrastructure renewal programme.

The administration resurfaced, rehabilitated and reconstructed about 60 kilometres of roads across Agboyi-Ketu, with each road project complemented by solar-powered street lighting.

In sports development, two 400-seater mini stadia were built and commissioned in Agboyi Town and Ajegunle on Thomas Street.

Education also received attention, with new school buildings featuring classrooms, staff offices and ICT laboratories constructed at Alapere and Agboyi.

With support from the Sustainable Development Goals initiative, three primary healthcare centres were rehabilitated, including facilities with 30-bed and 40-bed capacities in Agboyi and Mascara.

Healthcare became one of the administration’s flagship interventions.

“Last year alone, we gave over 6,000 people in Agboyi-Ketu more than N200 million worth of health insurance benefits. We carried out medical check-ups, free eye treatments, surgeries and advocacy.”

Through partnerships and investment in modern equipment, healthcare services were brought closer to residents.

“You can walk into our laboratory and get all your tests done in Agboyi-Ketu. We now run 24-hour primary healthcare centres at Mascara, Akinyemi and Ajegunle.”

His youth empowerment philosophy also reflects his belief in sustainable solutions rather than temporary relief.

“My approach to empowerment is not the traditional giving of grinders, television sets, fridges and generators,” he stresses. “People sell them, and it doesn’t create the needed impact.”

Instead, his administration designed training programmes lasting between six months and two years.

“We train them, give them a token of N5,000 monthly for transportation, and at the end of the training we provide tools and seed funding of between N50,000 and N100,000 depending on the craft.” The beneficiaries include tailors, caterers, auto mechanics, cobblers, graphic artists and printers.

Another landmark achievement was the construction of a new administrative complex.

“Our administrative building is different compared to other local governments,” Osinowo says. “With a 28-room office building sitting on less than 3,000 square metres, there was still not enough space for our staff.”

A new 90-room office complex was completed in March 2025 to accommodate heads of departments, supervisors, councillors and staff. The project, he insists, was achieved through careful planning rather than borrowing.

“Our local government has not taken any loan from the bank. We’ve been very meticulous in spending and always planned our projects.”

The work attracted attention beyond Agboyi-Ketu.

“We trended across social media, and I’m proud that my LCDA is the first in Nigeria to do such impactful things,” he says.

 “I have had calls from some other states that visited our local government to see how we did things differently. That is encouraging.”

On local government autonomy, Osinowo believes Lagos offers a strong example.

“Because we have been practising local government autonomy in Lagos from the time of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Babatunde Fashola, Akinwunmi Ambode and now Babajide Sanwo-Olu, other states should enjoy the beauty of autonomy.”

He speaks with particular appreciation about Governor Sanwo-Olu’s support.

“When the governor visited our local government before I stepped down, he gave me the approval and every necessary support to make things happen because he was happy that a local government chairman could do this.”

He also offers a measured assessment of President Tinubu’s economic reforms.

“The President is saddled with taking very hard decisions. It will take some time to begin to feel the impact of these policies. I am paying for diesel, and my salary has not been increased. The process is tough and painful. I believe he will turn things around.”

Though his tenure as council chairman has ended, Osinowo insists public service remains a daily commitment.

“I am still very hands-on and a readily available public officer working assiduously for my constituents,” he says. “I come to the office every day unless I travel.”

Before leaving office, he secured approval for another major project, a modern primary school in the riverine area of Agboyi. Because of the community’s unique security challenges, he says his administration worked with security agencies to create a safer environment, clearing shanties and converting neglected areas into productive spaces.

Now seeking election to the House of Representatives for Kosofe Federal Constituency, Osinowo says his focus remains unchanged.

“I want to leave a good mark.”

It is a simple statement, but it captures the thread running through his political journey, from the lecture halls of East London to the streets and communities of Agboyi-Ketu.

For Osinowo, leadership is ultimately measured not by the office occupied, but by the footprints left behind.