Meet 1st Lady, OLUREMI TINUBU’s Senior Sister

• The Story Of LOLA AKANDE

Lagos lawmaker, Hon.Lola Akande may not be visible on the campaign trail but she has been a fixture of the Tinubu regime in Lagos State since 1999. She is the elder sister of the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, wife of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Hon. Lola Akande is married to Kolapo Akande who died few years.As popular as her younger sister is, and for many years that she has been in government, Hon. Lola Akande has kept a low profile. Just like her sister, the First Lady, she is also very calm and simple. A glance at her tells you the kind of person she is. Not many people know her except for those who are in government. The two beautiful sisters are from 5 siblings where the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu is the last of the 5 children. They are both very close and celebrate with each other whenever the need arises. Few years back, the new First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu shared her growing up with her elder sister during her sisters 55th birthday in Lagos. Senator Oluremi Tinubu was full of nostalgia of her childhood at the occasion which was the 55th birthday of her immediate elder sister, Hon. Lola Akande on Thursday, January 2, 2014. The birthday celebration which took place at Magodo Shangisha (Lagos) had in attendance close family members, close friends and well-wishers.

Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who is the youngest of the five children of her mother, Princess Patience Ikusebiala – who was also present at the joyous occasion, told the audience how her sister, Hon. Lola Akande used to taunt her because of her skinny stature.

She said she slept atop their bunk-bed while her sister slept down and that anytime she offended her she would be using different Yoruba songs to taunt her about her skinny stature. If she made any attempt to respond, her sister would threaten to break her into two.

She said despite their cat and mouse behavior at home, nobody dared touch or beat her outside without getting her sister’s wrath. This was in Ibadan (Oyo), where they grew up.

She said the love between her and her sister extended to their adulthood to the extent that during her college of education and university days, she was living with her (Lola Akande) in her marital home. She also said another person she bonded very well with while growing was their father, who she said taught her most of the leadership traits she is exhibiting today.

Lola Akande holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Botany from the University of Ife, Master’s degree in Public Administration with a bias for Public Policy and PDGE from the University of Lagos, Akoka. Her foray into politics was before her appointment as Hon. Commissioner, Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. She was the Deputy Majority Leader of the 7th Lagos State House of Assembly between 2011 and 2015 and was the Deputy Chief Whip of the same House between 2007 and 2011 when she represented Ikeja Constituency II.

She was a member of Lagos State House of Assembly from 2007 to 2015 holding the positions of Deputy Majority Leader and Deputy Chief Whip at various times. She was the Commissioner, Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation from 2015 to 2019 and was appointed Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives in 2019, a portfolio she still holds. Hon. Lola Akande is a product of Queen’s School, Ibadan. During her win when she served as the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation for four years! She used the platform of that office and a lot of women, both young and old, were empowered through training in various vocations and handworks; backing it with tools, machines, and cash. The same has been done by other women in politics.

Prior to these positions, she was actively involved in different political activities and held both elective and appointed portfolios at different periods. She was Chairmanship aspirant for Ikeja Local Government on the platform of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP); Secretary, Justice Forum, Ikeja Local Government: ex-officio member in the then UNCP, Ikeja Local Government. She also served as Board member, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA). She was also one time treasurer of CDA in Ikeja Local Government.

Hon. Lola Akande started her working career in 1983 when she observed the mandatory National Youth Service with Cadbury Nigeria Limited, Ikeja, in the Technical Services Department after which she joined the Lagos State Teaching Service Commission in 1985, and taught till 1991. Thereafter, she set up her own Company. Fibsol Enterprises and served as Chairman. Before this time, she worked briefly at NEPA (PHCN) Dugbe in 1976, and at Guinness Nigeria Limited in 1980 serving as holiday vocational in both positions.

She served as the Hon. Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation during the tenure of Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode as the then Governor of the state between 2015-2019 where she contributed immensely to Women and Child Protection as well as in Poverty Alleviation until her recent appointment as the Honourable Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives in August 2019 by His Excellency, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, the Governor of Lagos State.

She has since been positively impacting the activities of the Ministry with her cognate experience acquired over the years. She is indeed a woman of substance. Hon. Lola Akande is married with shildren. She also havemany awards in her kitty, one of such is from the National Association of Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (NASME) Lagos Chapter, who honored her with an Award of Excellence for her support to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the state. Also the promotion of indigenous products in Lagos State was put in place by the Ministry to carry out many of its mandates.

-TAYO OYEDIJI

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