Working with Lagos govs rewarding — Sanwo-Olu’s aide, Ayoola

The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Central Internal Audit, Dr. Oyeyemi Ayoola, has described her experience working with successive administrations in the state as “interesting and rewarding.”

In an interview with journalists, the Igbobi-Sabe-born chartered accountant said Lagos has consistently been blessed with visionary and hardworking leaders.

Dr. Ayoola, who holds first and second degrees as well as a PhD in Accounting, reflected on her decades of service under administrations led by Bola Tinubu, Babatunde Fashola, Akinwunmi Ambode, and Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

She credited President Tinubu with laying the foundation for inclusive governance through the active involvement of civil servants in decision-making and sustained investment in capacity development.

According to her, the model introduced by Tinubu has been maintained by subsequent administrations, resulting in continuous growth and development in the state.

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“Successive governors, Fashola, Ambode and Sanwo-Olu, followed that line, and it is making Lagos greater,” she said.

She described the four governors as cerebral and hardworking, noting that Tinubu’s strength as a “talent hunter” has ensured seamless transitions and continuity in leadership.

“Our governors are cerebral and people-centric. President Tinubu, as you know, is a talent hunter. After him, Governor Fashola was very cerebral and hard-working. Governor Ambode too was very hard-working, and the present governor, Mr. Sanwo-Olu, is very cerebral. But you just have to give it to President Tinubu; he is the father of all,” she said.

Dr. Ayoola explained that her decision to remain active in public service after retiring as a Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance was driven by a desire to give back to society, inspired by notable figures such as the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

“I see examples and mentorship, especially in Senator Oluremi Tinubu. She is a woman I admire a lot. Many people do not know that she has done a lot in the business world before going into politics.

“When I see women like that, I am encouraged that it is not about me retiring to sit back. Senator Tinubu gives a lot back to society, and that is what I do and will keep doing. This has led me into founding a non-governmental organisation called Women Inclusion in Policy Advancement Organisation (WINPAO),” she said.

A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Ayoola outlined her career progression across key financial and administrative roles, including Council Treasurer, Director of Finance and Accounts, Director of the Project Financial Management Unit (PFMU) of the State Treasury Office, and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance.

She noted that these roles enabled her to contribute significantly to policy development and implementation.

“I wrote the financial feasibility reports on the collaboration between Lagos State and Kebbi State on the production of LAKE Rice.

“We also had the training of Lagos youth on agri-preneurship under the Agric Youth Empowerment Scheme (Agric-YES).

“I was part of the team that started Agric-YES and supervised the financial business plans for all graduates of the programme. It was a huge success, and we still have many young agri-preneurs in Lagos State today,” she said.

Ayoola added that she has consistently sought to add value in every position she has held, including her time as Permanent Secretary, where several initiatives were introduced to improve staff welfare.

She highlighted initiatives such as Insurance Week, designed to promote awareness of insurance benefits among civil servants, as well as efforts to encourage private sector participation through corporate social responsibility, which led to the distribution of houses and vehicles to workers.

She also noted her role in initiating “LOLA,” a payment platform used by the Ministry of Finance for Land Use Charge revenue collection.

In her current role under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, she said she has introduced innovations such as the Payment Voucher Tracker and a biometric staff auditing system aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability in public service.