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Tag: Mojisola Meranda

  • New Lagos Assembly speaker promises transparency, good governance

    New Lagos Assembly speaker promises transparency, good governance

    …elects new principal officers

    The newly elected Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Lasbat Mojisola Meranda, has assured Lagosians of her commitment to prioritizing their needs while upholding transparency and good governance.

    Speaking during her first plenary on Friday, January 17, Meranda emphasized her administration’s dedication to unity and progress. 

    She pledged to work towards creating a better legacy and urged stakeholders to leave the past behind and focus on building a brighter future for the state.

    She said: “Today, again, we are reminded of the shared responsibility that rests on our shoulders as representatives of our good people in Lagos state elected to give voice to their fair and just hopes, dreams, aspirations, and concerns, we are the guardians of this collective trust, and we must strive to justify the faith they have placed in us.

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    “As we begin this new chapter in the history of our Assembly, I want to assure you that our administration will focus on working together for a better legacy. 

    “We will work harmoniously with other arms of government to ensure a seamless delivery of democracy to Lagosians who are our core focus. 

    “Therefore, we will work to ensure that irrespective of gender, education, religion, and ethnic background, every Lagos resident is proud to say, I am a Lagosian.”

    She charged the lawmakers to lead by example by demonstrating the values of integrity, transparency and accountability.

    Earlier, the speaker announced new principal officers which include:

    Hon. Adewale Temitope Adedeji, representing Ifako Ijaye 1 Constituency as Majority Leader; Hon. Richard Kasumu, representing Ikeja 2 Constituency, Deputy Majority Leader;  Hon. David Setonji, representing Badagry 2 Constituency, Chief Whip and  Hon. Semiu Okanlawon, representing Kosofe Constituency 1, Deputy Chief Whip.

  • What you need to know about Lagos first female speaker, Mojisola Meranda

    What you need to know about Lagos first female speaker, Mojisola Meranda

    Lagos State House of Assembly has sworn in its first female Speaker, Mojisola Meranda.

    Meranda took her oath of office after the impeachment of the former Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, on Monday during a plenary session.

    She represents the Apapa 1 state constituency in the assembly.

    She was first elected as a member of the House in 2015, representing Apapa constituency 1. She was re-elected in 2019 and 2023.

    Before her time in the House, Mrs Meranda served the Apapa local government in different capacities. She also worked in the private sector.

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    Meranda was born on 16 August 1980, to the family of the late Chief T. A. Lawal Akapo (Ojora of Lagos) and Princess M. A. Lawal-Akapo of the royal families of Ojora, Aromire, Onitana, Oloto, and Oniru.

    Her late father was a legislator at the local level before he became the Ojora of Lagos. Her mother is from the prominent Oniru family in Lagos. Her brother is the Oniru of Iru land, Oba AbdulWasiu Omogbolahan Lawal.

    Mrs Meranda began her primary education at St. Charles Nursery and Primary School before moving to Randle Primary School at Randle Avenue in Surulere from 1986 to 1992.

    She attended Lagos Anglican Girls Grammar School (1992-1996) and Ansar-Ud-Deen Secondary School (1996-1998), both in Surulere, where she was a library prefect and secretary of the press club.

    She obtained the West African School Certificate (WASC) in 1998, according to her official House profile.

    After her secondary education, Mrs Meranda obtained an advanced certificate in software development in 2005. She is also recorded as having attended Lagos State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration in 2013.

    In 2018, she returned to school, enrolling at the University of Lagos.

    In 2003, at the age of 23, she began working as a personal assistant to Dr. Olumuyiwa Gbadegesin, a senior special assistant on technology and special projects to Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    Between 2007 and 2008, Mrs Meranda worked in the oil and gas industry with Cirrus Nigeria Limited as a procurement manager.

    She returned to politics in 2008, taking active roles in the Apapa local government, first as a senior special assistant on intervention and intergovernmental affairs to the then Chairman, Ayodeji Joseph, and later as a supervisory councilor for health.

    In 2014, she joined Worthline International Services Limited as head of operations. Worthline was originally registered in 2012, with Mrs Meranda as a director.

    And then in 2015, she was elected as a member of the House.

  • Deputy Speaker empowers constituents

    Deputy Speaker empowers constituents

    Lagos State House of Assembly Deputy Speaker Mojisola Meranda has trained and empowered over 100 constituents with farming tools, seedlings and other agricultural items.

    The recipients were trained under the Mo’CARE Foundation, which aims to increase food production and involve younger generations in agriculture.

    Meranda, who spoke at the 9th Annual Constituency Stakeholders’ meeting in Apapa constituency 1 at the weekend, stressed the need to address food insecurity caused by high prices and scarcity, which she attributed to the actions of unpatriotic individuals, who hoarded food items.

    The event, hosted simultaneously across the 40 constituencies in Lagos State, focused on the theme: “Enabling Food Security for a Sustainable Future: Youth Participation and Home-Grown Farming.”

    She encouraged the trainees to start farming and gardening at the available space in their compounds, as they were empowered with farming equipment.

    Meranda urged property owners to prioritise agricultural use of their land, emphasising the critical roles youths played in driving innovation and entrepreneurship in farming.

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    She called for collective responsibility in tackling the issue, noting that the burden should not be placed on the government.

    “We must negate the slogans of hunger in our local languages by ensuring every household contributes to food production,” Meranda said, underscoring the importance of home-grown farming as a solution to food insecurity.”

    She highlighted Lagos State Government’s initiatives designed to enhance agricultural productivity, including Ikorodu Fish Farm Estate, AGRIC-YE programme, and pig and poultry farm estates ‘’that are already creating opportunities for farmers across the state.’’

    In line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Meranda said Lagos aimed to become a producing state, rather than a consuming one.

    She praised the efforts of First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, who launched the “Every Home a Garden” initiative and inaugurated Young Farmers Club of Nigeria.

    The lawmaker distributed over 1,000 educational kits to representatives of eight schools in the constituency.

    She says when children are well educated and they have materials and tools to aid their learning, the sky will only be their starting point.

    The Managing Director, Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC), Mr. Ayodeji Joseph, who was present at the event, decried youths’ disinterest in agricultural activities as one of the major barriers to youths’ participation in agriculture, urging them to show more interest.

    The meeting concluded with a call for collective responsibility. “If we can engage our youths, equip them with the necessary skills and ensure access to resources, we will not only tackle food insecurity, but also create sustainable jobs and a more prosperous future for all,” Meranda said.