Sanwo-Olu: How Tinubu Provided Me Opportunities for Leadership

•Fashola, Olu of Warri, others speak at Lagos leadership summit

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, told an assembly of youths at a Lagos Leadership Summit how President Bola Tinubu provided him opportunities for leadership.

Former Governor Babatunde Fashola, SAN, also attended the event organised by Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy (LJLA). It was held at Konga Place in Lekki, with the theme, “Transformative Leadership: Developing Responsive, Adaptive and Inclusive Models.”

Sharing a personal experience in leadership elevation, Sanwo-Olu revealed how Tinubu, groomed and raised his leadership capacity by thrusting multiple tasks to him.

“Your capacity to deliver on a set of simple tasks entrusted to you when serving in smaller roles can be the building block for greater leadership exploits,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu, who was appointed as Special Adviser on Economic Matters by then Governor Tinubu, was an investment banker before joining the public service in 2002.

The governor held that the chance he was offered to serve in multiple roles during Tinubu’s government in Lagos State became his biggest opportunity to explore his leadership potential.

He stated, “I was appointed to serve as Special Adviser when former governor, now President Tinubu started to lay the groundwork for the transformation of Lagos to modern city. For me, this was the period I started gaining from Tinubu’s transformative and pragmatic approach to leadership.

“This opportunity exposed me to international trips where we had official engagements with various multinational organisations. I was crisscrossing from one portfolio to another, serving in areas that included Transportation, Environment, Public Safety and Education.

“While I served in Transportation, I put in my very best and challenged personnel in the sector. I was deployed to revenue generation; I went in there to improve on the numbers and boosted staff capacity.

“In Environment, I changed the status quo. I was doing all of these without thinking of future expectations.”

After Tinubu’s governorship tenure ended in 2007, Sanwo-Olu said he was nominated to serve in a specific capacity in the succeeding government of Fashola.

The governor explained that he was posted to a ministry considered as a “dry land”, because it was believed the position was not rewarding.

“But the task was one that would bring out your very best in terms of capacity and how you can transform human capital to achieve real progress, just like what the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy is doing today,” the governor said.

He added, “I took up various other roles and did excel. The period I was appointed for different leadership roles gave me the option to reappraise myself and retool my skills. Then, I had the best opportunity to launch myself into another level and subsequently got me into the current position.”

Sanwo-Olu urged the participants not to give up when faced with unfulfilled expectations, stressing that failure is not the end of the road.

Fashola, a former Minister of Works and Housing, spoke on “The Inclusion Imperative: Why No One Wins When Leadership leaves People Behind.”

He said promoting inclusion and diversity should be a key focus of pragmatic leadership.

Fashola said the framers of the Nigerian constitution made equality, inclusion and participation the foundation stone for continued existence of the country, stating that Section 14 to 19 of the constitution provides for Federal Character as the basis for national unity.

The former governor said, “Leaders have the responsibility to build coalition of unity and belonging. What should matter is not whether or not every leader has included everybody; that has to be impossible. What should matter is whether majority of the people can perceive that their leader is making efforts not to exclude or leave anyone behind.

“People naturally feel included or excluded, but the tangible thing for a leader is to be able to say understand the situation. “I will recommend Town Hall meetings such as this forum as very strong platform to promote inclusion. People would have the feeling that they are being heard and consulted in affairs of their society.”

Discussion panels were held at the event, focusing on how young people could channel their knowledge, energy and expertise to build a united country.

Some of the discussants included the Olu of Warri, His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III; Emir of Zazzau, Amb. Ahmed Nuhu Bamali; and Oniru of Iru Kingdom, Oba Omogbolahan Lawal.