Lateef jakande biography of abraham
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This view held that his participation prioritized personal or sectoral influence over opposition to dictatorship, contrasting his earlier reputation as a principled civilian leader.[24] Assessments of his tenure noted partial successes in project initiation but highlighted incomplete delivery due to fiscal shortfalls and regime instability, without direct linkage to events like the earlier Structural Adjustment Programme riots.[64]
Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande was a Nigerian politician and journalist who served as the Governor of Lagos State from 1979 to 1983.
A man that cared for the people and a fantastic journalist,” he said.
Signing the condolence register, Hamzat personally wrote, “Baba was a great leader in the state of Lagos. Two years after this, 1949 to be precise, he was through with his secondary education and thus, ventured into his dream career, Journalism, at the age of twenty.
Career and Politics
Lateef Jakande began his career as a journalist in 1949 with Daily Service.Following the military takeover, he was charged, prosecuted and convicted of treason, but later pardoned. In May 2009, he was reported to be engaged a struggle for control of the party with his former ally, Dr. Adegbola Dominic.
Personal Life
Alhaji Lateef Jakande was married to Alhaja Abimbola Sikirat Jakande and the union was blessed with children.Lagos being the centre for lottery, pools and gaming, he increased their processing licenses also in order to fund the projects.
In following up with his development programmes in the health sector, Jakande went ahead and completed the construction of general hospitals in Gbagada and Ikorodu, built additional 20 health centres within the state.
Long after he left office as governor, he had little success coming to limelight until 1993 when the late Head of State, Gen.
Sani Abacha, appointed him minister of works, a position he took, as according to him, having been convinced by MKO Abiola.
It is, however, on record that his association with Abacha handicapped his career in politics after democracy was restored in 1999. That is why he remains an unforgotten hero.
Lateef Jakande
Lateef Kayode Jakande (23 July 1929 – 11 February 2021) was a Nigerian journalist and politician who served as the first executive governor of Lagos State from 1979 to 1983 under the Unity Party of Nigeria platform.[1][2][3]Born in Epetedo on Lagos Island to parents originating from Omu-Aran in present-day Kwara State, Jakande received his early education in Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Ilesha before entering journalism in 1949 with the Daily Service newspaper, later advancing to roles including assistant editor at Daily Times and founding editor of the Nigerian Tribune.[1][4][3]During his single term as governor, Jakande prioritized accessible public services, implementing free education from primary through secondary levels, constructing over 30,000 low-cost housing units, and establishing institutions including Lagos State University, a Teachers' Training College, and the College of Education to expand educational access.[3][5][2]His administration also advanced infrastructure by erecting the Lagos State Secretariat, initiating a metro line project, and unifying the school system to integrate public education more effectively, efforts that laid foundational improvements in urban governance despite the era's economic constraints and his term's abrupt end via military coup.[5][3][6]
Early Life and Background
Birth and Family Origins
Lateef Kayode Jakande was born on July 23, 1929, in the Epetedo area of Lagos Island, then the colonial capital of Nigeria.[7][8] His parents, Rahman Adeniyi Jakande and Sinotu Aduke (née Akodu), originated from Omu-Aran, a Yoruba town in present-day Kwara State, reflecting his ethnic Yoruba roots within a Muslim family tradition.[7][1] The family's circumstances were modest, typical of many migrants drawn to Lagos for economic opportunities amid British colonial administration.[4]Growing up in Epetedo, Jakande experienced the multicultural vibrancy of Lagos Island, a densely populated commercial hub influenced by trade, migration, and colonial governance, which fostered an early awareness of urban diversity and socioeconomic disparities.[8] This environment, marked by interactions among Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, and European communities under indirect rule, underscored the challenges and aspirations of colonial-era Nigeria, setting the stage for his later self-reliant trajectory from humble origins.[1]Education and Formative Influences
Lateef Jakande received his primary education at Lagos Public School in Enu-Owa, Lagos Island, followed by attendance at Bunham Memorial Methodist School in Port Harcourt from 1934 to 1943.[7][5] For secondary education, he briefly studied at King's College, Lagos, in 1943, but did not complete his studies there due to a conflict with colonial authorities.[1] He then enrolled at Ilesha Grammar School in 1945, where he completed his secondary schooling around the late 1940s and served as editor of the school's literary publication, The Quarterly Mirror, demonstrating an early aptitude for writing and intellectual engagement.[4][5]Jakande did not pursue formal higher education or obtain a universitydegree, instead drawing on the practical foundations of his colonial-era schooling, which emphasized discipline and basic civic values amid British administrative oversight.[4] This limited academic trajectory, combined with exposure to structured Methodist and public school environments, cultivated a community-oriented mindset reflective of Lagos's diverse urban fabric, where Yoruba Muslim heritage from his parents' origins in Omu-Aran, Kwara State, intersected with colonial curricula.[7]His formative years were marked by voracious reading of newspapers, which introduced him to emerging nationalist sentiments in pre-independence Nigeria, fostering a self-directed intellectual development that prioritized actionable insights over theoretical pursuits and laid the groundwork for his pragmatic worldview.[1] This absence of advanced formal training reinforced an approach reliant on experiential learning and apprenticeships, shaping his emphasis on empirical problem-solving in later endeavors.[4]Journalism Career
Entry into Journalism
Lateef Jakande commenced his journalism career in 1949 at The Daily Service, a prominent Lagos-based newspaper established during the colonial era.[5][9][10] In this role, he served as a reporter and sub-editor, handling tasks such as news gathering, editing copy, and preparing articles for publication amid the bustling media environment of colonial Lagos.[1] These early positions provided him with practical experience in journalistic fundamentals, including fact verification and concise writing, essential for navigating the demands of daily newspaper production.Jakande's work at The Daily Service involved covering local events and developments in Nigeria's urban center, where he began establishing connections with fellow journalists and informants in the press corps.[11] This phase marked his immersion in the profession's routines, from fieldwork reporting to editorial collaboration, fostering skills that would underpin his later contributions.Due to his eloquence and commitment, he was appointed the first President of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN).
Alhaji Lateef Jakande contested for Executive Governor of Lagos State in 1979 on the Unity Party of Nigeria platform. This prioritization of ventures with tangible returns underscored a pragmatic allocation framework, contrasting with federal tendencies toward over-centralized control that hampered subnational initiatives and amplified economy-wide debt pressures.Borrowing was deliberately restrained to avert long-term fiscal burdens; the Lagos Metroline, for example, was advanced with a N700 million contract featuring a 10% upfront state payment from existing revenues, bypassing large-scale loans despite the project's scale.
He was later to become the Minister of Works under the Sani Abacha military regime.
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Lateef Jakande Profile
Before we continue, here's a quick rundown on Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande's profile and a few things you'd love to know about him:
Full name: Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande
Born: 23rd July 1929
Died: 11th February 2021
Age: 91 years
Nationality: Nigerian
Education: Ilesha Grammar School
Spouse(s): Alhaja Abimbola Sikirat Jakande
Children: Deji Jakande, Olusegun Lateef-Jakande
Occupation: Journalist, politician
Religion: Muslim
Net worth:
Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande Biography and Educational Background
Lateef Jakande was born on the 23rd of July, 1929 in the Epetedo area of Lagos Island, Lagos State.By focusing on local revenue streams, the administration cultivated greater fiscal independence, mitigating risks from national revenue volatility.Capital projects were selected for their prospective economic multipliers, such as the 75 km Lagos-Epe Expressway, a fully state-financed greenfield development that facilitated expanded commercial activity and land value appreciation in previously underdeveloped areas.
His campaigns drew on journalistic precision, framing promises as feasible extensions of first-hand reporting on public needs rather than vague rhetoric, thereby securing broad support among Lagos voters disillusioned by military-era neglect.
His life was all about service,” the statement said.
There is a lot to learn from the life of this late elder statesman for the imprints he left behind. Having won the election, he ran an open administration and implemented the cardinal policies of his party by introducing mass housing and educational programmes that target the poor. After being freed, he got appointed as the Minister of Works under the Sani Abacha military regime, a position that earned him some criticism.
Following the merge of UNPP and APP, Alhaji Lateef Jakande became a senior member of All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).
In a statement jointly signed by Kabiru Yussuf and Mohammed Idris, then president and secretary respectively, NPAN said Jakande mid-wifed the association from infancy, stressing that NPAN would ever remain grateful for his effort in birthing the association.
The Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, said Jakande exemplified selfless service.
In June 2002, he got "suspended" by a faction of the ANPP loyal to Chief Lanre Razaq.
He became the first chairman of the Action Party of Nigeria (APN), a party that was formed in May 2009. His passion for journalism led him to establish John West Publications and The Lagos News after leaving the Tribune in 1975.
In the newspaper industry, he was a pioneer in many ways.
As Nigeria approached independence in 1960, Jakande's formative years coincided with this tension, where media outlets increasingly tested boundaries on political discourse while building public awareness of governance issues, all within a framework of limited pressfreedom that prioritized colonial stability over unfettered expression.[13]