Lagos Commissioner Gbolahan Lawal Crowned New Oniru

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has presented the staff of office to the 15th Oniru of Iru kingdom, Oba Gbolahan Lawal today, Sunday 7th of June, 2020 and has charged him to sustain the peace and harmonious relationship that had existed in the land.

The New Oniru of Iruland in Victoria island Oba Gbolahan Lawal received the staff of office barely three days after the Kingmakers and elders of Iruland selected him among the lists of prince vying for the throne that became vacant last year after the 14th Oniru, Oba Idowu Oniru, joined his ancestors.

At the ceremony held within the kingdom on Sunday, the governor, who described traditional institution as the first systems of governance, stated that it would forever remain a strong link to Nigeria’s heritage at all times.

About the new Oniru

Lawal, succeeds late Oba Idowu Abiodun, former Oniru of Iruland, who passed on in the year 2019 at the age of 82.

He was born on July 24, 1970, to late Chief T. A. Lawal- Akapo, the Ojora of Lagos (1977-1993), and Olori M. A. Lawal-Akapo.

Gbolahan is a Lagos Prince from the Ojora, Aromire, Shokun, and Abisogun branch of Oniru Royal families of Lagos State.

He holds an Executive MSc in CITIES (LSE, Cities) from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He also obtained an MSc in Violence, Conflict, and Development from the School of Oriental and African Studies [SOAS], the University of London in 2008; a BSc Hons. in Botany from the University of Port-Harcourt in 1992 and a product of the famous St. Gregory’s College, Lagos.

He has completed several courses and programmes including the International Housing Finance Program (IHFP) in 2018 and the Advanced Management Programme (AMP) from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, USA in 2015.

Lawal is also a product of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and the World Bank Institute, Washington D.C. In the last eight years, he has been on the board of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF).

Lawal started his career as a Scientific Officer with the Raw Materials Research and Development Council at the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology in 1994. He later joined The Nigerian Police Force and was commissioned as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent.

While in the force, he held several duty posts amongst which was serving as an Aide-de-camp [ADC] to the former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He retired voluntarily from the Nigerian Police in 2008 as a Superintendent of Police.

Lawal was a Senior Special Assistant on Special Projects to former Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN). In this capacity, he coordinated the Agriculture-Based Youth Empowerment Scheme (AgricYES). The success of the innovative Agric-Yes paved way for his appointment as the Honourable Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives in Lagos State in 2011.

He was subsequently appointed as the Commissioner for Housing by immediate past Lagos governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, in October 2015, a position he held until May 2019.

In 2019, Lawal was reappointed as the Commissioner for Agriculture in Lagos by the incumbent Governor Sanwo-Olu.

Lawal has won several awards in recognition of his outstanding performance as a state commissioner.

Source: First Weekly