A few years ago, one of my post-grad lecturers, who often told stories of her life during lectures, said she would not have been able to attend school if not for the policies of former Lagos governor Lateef Jakande. Jakande was Lagos State governor in the Second Republic from 1979 to 1983. This article lays out his efforts at deepening access to primary, secondary and even tertiary education.
In her telling, her large family was poor. There would not have been the resources to send them all to school. Because of the access to education provided by Jakande, her life turned out differently. My lecturer never met her governor, but she—and tens of thousands of others—felt his impact on their lives through his commitment to education.
Key takeaways
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Apart from the presidential election, the 2023 elections will see 28 governorship contests in March, and a further 3 in November 2023
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Governors are responsible for delivering primary and secondary education and healthcare, as well as other services.
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More interest and scrutiny in the governors is needed to ensure they are held to account.
With the 2023 elections approaching, the tendency is for Nigerians to fixate on the presidency and who occupies it. The presidency is
