Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has directed the management of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) to engage fellows of the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy (LJLA) on their recommendations for improving waste management in the state.
Sanwo-Olu gave the directive during a mentorship session with the Class of Catalysts, the academy’s third cohort, where the fellows presented policy recommendations on waste and risk management.
The governor urged the fellows to meet with LAWMA officials to present their findings, defend their recommendations and engage with those responsible for managing waste in Lagos.
He said the interaction would provide an opportunity for the young leaders to ask questions, receive feedback and explore practical ways of addressing challenges in the sector.
According to him, the engagement reflects the vision behind the leadership academy, creating a platform where young people can use research and fresh ideas to interrogate government policies, while also giving the government the opportunity to listen and respond.
Sanwo-Olu also commended the fellows for their capstone projects, including proposals for a library and ICT centre, describing them as initiatives capable of delivering measurable impact and extending beyond the current cohort.
He urged the fellows to sustain the relationships built during the programme, stressing that a strong alumni network could become a valuable source of ideas, knowledge and support for future initiatives.
Reflecting on the fellows’ recent policy trip to Rwanda, the governor challenged them to study successful models in other countries and consider how such approaches could be adapted to improve governance in Lagos.
Sanwo-Olu also stressed the importance of consistency in government policies, saying investors require certainty and predictability before committing resources.
“People want clarity. People want definitive pronouncements. No matter how tough that pronouncement, they want you to be consistent with it so that they can plan,” he said.
He urged the fellows to remain open to learning, listen before responding and learn from their mistakes, describing the ability to turn failure into lessons as an important leadership quality.
The Executive Secretary of LJLA, Ayisat Agbaje-Okunade, said the Class of Catalysts was the academy’s third cohort, bringing the number of young people who have passed through the programme to about 90.
She said graduation should not be regarded as the end of the fellows’ leadership journey but as the beginning of a new phase of greater responsibility.
Agbaje-Okunade said the fellows had been exposed to both theoretical and practical leadership through readings, mentorship sessions, fireside chats and shadowing opportunities with commissioners and heads of ministries, departments and agencies.
She said the academy was established not merely to impart leadership knowledge but to raise young people capable of making meaningful contributions to society.
“When they enter the fellowship, they don’t know the sort of leader they want to be. But they know the sort of leader they do not want to be,” she said.
Agbaje-Okunade urged the fellows to continue to demonstrate patriotism, responsibility and respect for the law after completing the fellowship.
“Our vision has always been to build a society transformed by the leadership of young people. So our transformation is very much dependent on them, even after they leave the fellowship,” she added.
She said the academy had also broadened the fellows’ exposure through international engagements, including a recent policy trip to Kigali, Rwanda, where they interacted with government officials, mayors, district heads and communities.