By Kayode Olopade
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has charged graduates of the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy (LJLA) to deploy the knowledge and experience acquired during their fellowship to drive positive change and strengthen leadership across Nigeria.
Sanwo-Olu gave the charge at the graduation and induction ceremony of the academy held at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
The ceremony marked the graduation of 30 fellows of the 2024/2025 cohort, known as the “Class of Catalysts,” as well as the induction of another 30 fellows into the 2025/2026 fellowship year.
The Governor said the academy was established to bridge the gap between the aspirations of young Nigerians and the realities of leadership in the public sector, stressing that effective leadership required deliberate preparation, vision and character.
“Leadership is not by accident; it is a product of vision, preparation, and character,” Sanwo-Olu said, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to developing the academy into a world-class institution for nurturing purposeful and public-centred leaders.
He urged the graduating fellows to see their completion of the intensive one-year residential programme not as an end, but as the beginning of a greater responsibility to contribute meaningfully to society.
As part of activities marking the graduation, Sanwo-Olu unveiled Torchbearers, a book collectively authored by the graduating fellows to document their experiences, lessons and reflections from the fellowship programme.
The ceremony attracted senior government officials, industry leaders and prominent personalities, including Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat; Head of Service, Mr. Olabode Shuaheeb Agoro; Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya; and veteran actress and academy mentor, Joke Silva.
In her opening remarks, the Executive Secretary of the academy, Mrs. Ayisat Agbaje-Okunade, disclosed that the LJLA had continued to record significant impact since its establishment.
According to her, 60 fellows have so far completed the fully funded fellowship programme, with more than 85 per cent of them already actively contributing to social and institutional development across Nigeria’s public and private sectors.
The ceremony also featured the presentation of various awards to outstanding participants. The All-Rounder Award was presented to Seyi Ugo in recognition of exceptional commitment, performance and leadership throughout the fellowship.
Commissioner for Agriculture, Abisola Olusanya, also received the Most Supportive Personality Award.
The event climaxed with the formal passing of the leadership baton from the graduating fellows to the newly inducted cohort, signalling the commencement of another phase in the academy’s leadership development programme.
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