Meet The “Poster Boy” Of Sanwo-Olu’s 2nd Term Administration

The second term administration of Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Governor of Lagos state already has a poster boy.

The poster boy is the face of arresting performance and usually, someone at the forefront of implementing government policies that directly touch the lives of residents.

All fingers point to Tokunbo Wahab as the poster boy of the second – and last term – of Sanwo-Olu’s administration that started on May 29, 2023.

Wahab is the Commissioner for Environment and the efforts of the 51year-year-old since he assumed office on Monday, September 18, 2023, continue to speak to his declaration “to secure a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, that promotes tourism, boosts economic growth and enhances the overall well-being of the citizens”.

Wahab who insisted that “to keep Lagos clean, safe, and healthy, We must be deliberate in our approach” is championing an extensive intervention that has resulted in the clearing of shanties, illegal structures, and markets and widespread cleaning of drainage and canals to open waters and prevent flooding – and make Lagos better.

An environmental campaign the Commissioner explains will be statewide and sustained “until normalcy is restored”.

It has caught the attention of many that, unlike other top office holders who provide a buffer between themselves and the possible backlash of tough decisions, the Alumnus of the prestigious Harvard Kennedy School of Government and the Wharton University of Pennsylvania remains at the forefront of the hard tasks and publicly taking responsibility for all that his men are doing.

Added checks revealed that the former Student Union leader at the University of Benin has made it a point of duty to carry the public along in the actions of his ministry with consistent updates and clarifications – as exemplified in the explanation that no market should pay for reopening after fulling environmental conditions, except for waste management bills by the agency in charge, for work done.

Governor Sanwo-Olu’s constant show-ups at assessment and clean-up sites have helped to shore up the importance of what Wahab and his men are doing to the government – and people.

According to added digs, Wahab is not new to high-level valuable contributions to governance.

He was the Special Adviser on Education during Sanwo-Olu’s first term in office – May 2019 to May 2023).

Amongst other achievements, he has his fingerprints on putting Library and ICT Centres in secondary schools across Lagos, revamping of Lasu, eConnel business school in Victoria Island, and upgrade of the Lagos State Polytechnic, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education and Michael Oedola College of Primary Education to University of Technology and University of Education.

And was a major contributor to the fashioning out of funding for Lagos state universities.

From Epe, Lagos state, Wahab is the son of two influential community and political leaders.

His father, Dodo – Prince Olugbenga Wahab of the Otuwunmi Ateshinmara Royal Dynasty- was a well known political leader in Epe while his mother Muyi Wahab – (Nee Sosanya Aberuagba) was a dogged women leader and grassroots mobilizer in Epe and Sagamu (Ogun State).

Both are late.

He is widely described as a passionate Lagosian, detribalized Nigerian, and staunch member of the Anglican Community.