Mayor Dele Oshinowo is a dynamic, savvy, sagacious, visionary, strategic and thoroughbred politician, who has a deep understanding and mastery of grassroots governance. He had garnered a lot of experiences as a result of the past offices held: as the Secretary to the Council, Agboyi-Ketu Local Council Development Area, from 2012 to 2014; and, serving in the same position in the Transition Committee of the same council from 2015 to 2016. Unarguably, the position he held which is regraded as the life wire of an organization, had prepared him to be an astute leader equipped with fruitful ideas and orientation.
His profound knowledge and educational exploit blossomed when he embarked on a tertiary academic journey to study in the United Kingdom where he obtained B.A. (Hons) in Business Studies and Masters in Risk Management from the University of East London, United Kingdom. Oshinowo had started his educational career at the famous St. Agnes Primary School and later proceeded to Maryland Comprehensive Secondary School, both located in Maryland, Lagos State.
During his stay in the United Kingdom, Dele worked as a business and security analyst with a leading banking firm, Citibank, through with his banking activities, he proceeded to engage in real estate development in order to build his entrepreneurial capacity.
Born into the family of Oshinowo of Ijebu-Ode, over four decades ago, Mayor had prior to the completion of his schooling, carved a niche for himself financially through his many entrepreneurial strides, a feat attained through self-belief, consistency and the grace of God. Through his foray into the world of business, he was able to advance humanitarian activities as a cardinal objective in human relations. This has significantly helped him to consistently stand firm with the populace in all engagements.
His enviable path with the people positioned him in the forefront, to demand for an egalitarian society, and this led him to make a foray into politics in 1998, when he worked with other progressives and like-minds to form the Alliance of Democracy (AD). He seized the opportunity, after the lifting of ban on the political process by the military. Today, the All Progressives Congress (APC), is the offshoot of the then AD.
However, history reveals that as a young democrat in 1998, he relentlessly championed the agitation for a well- structured youth wing in his party, the Alliance for Democracy. He has maintained a defined political route to advance cause of the youth and the common man.
Politically, the council chairman has engaged in various political processes prior to and after his emergence as the number one citizen of Agboyi-Ketu LCDA.
In 2011, the purpose-driven council mayor contested the chairmanship position of the LCDA under the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN), Also in 2015, he aspired to become the lawmaker representing Kosofe Constituency 2 at the Lagos State House of Assembly under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, for both aspirations, the chairman put up a good show, a unique step that helped him connect with humanity and understand the pulse of the people and political temperature of his environment.
Further afield, to build his political network and canvass for his political party, the chairman served in dual capacity in the 2019 general election, holding the positions of the Senatorial Coordinator, Babajide Sanwo-olu – Independent Campaign Organization, and also as the Director of Special Duties, Bayo Osinowo Campaign Organization popularly known as ‘Team Pepper’. In both capacities, the people’s mayor blended to ensure there is a meeting point of victory for both candidates in Agboyi-Ketu, Lagos East Senatorial District and Lagos at large.
However, with the vacuum created by the death of his political benefactor, who nurtured him like his biological son in the political terrain, Senator Bayo Osinowo, the chairman also served in a unique capacity for his immediate party’s successor, as the Director of Logistics, Tokunbo Abiru Constituency Team(TACT)
Having been part of the political atmosphere for almost two decades, Mayor Dele contested the 2017 Local Government Elections under the platform of All Progressives Congress(APC) and won the elections, as the Executive Chairman of Agboyi-Ketu Local Council Development Area, he was sworn-in on July 25, 2017.
Ever since he assumed the saddle of leadership , the chairman has discharged himself creditably well, working round the clock to give meaning to governance. Though commendations and accolades have been coming in torrents from the populace for his giant stride that have seemingly changed the landscape of the local council, but Oshinowo is not distracted.
Under his leadership, Agboyi-ketu is operating an inclusive policy for all, without prejudice to tribe, religion and political affiliations; he has successfully placed the electorate at the driving seat of governance. In an unprecedented fashion, the chairman has institutionalised feedback mechanism for all voices to be heard, and providing real-time responses in one go.
In the area of infrastructure, his administration has initiated and completed an ultra-modern two storey office complex within a remarkable period of his first three months in office. Also, in line with this drive to provide a conducive environment for government transactions, his administration constructed another gigantic and gorgeous two-storey edifice with the structure wowing all and sundry, this was commissioned by the Executive Governor, Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, these administrative buildings, totaling forty-six offices have helped to change the face of governance for the first contact of administration in the local council.
His administration has also the witnessed the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of over 44.7 kilometer of roads.
Through his singular vision, the LCDA birthed the inauguration of the Property and Investment Board with the composition of seasoned and versed technocrats to help beam a searchlight on how to ensure proper land management of all real estate owned by the LCDA in order to usher in a serene and beautiful environment for all in the LCDA, as well as shore up the Council’s revenue base.
The board saddled with this strategic management has changed the landscape of Agboyi-Ketu with the noticeable housing projects springing up at Ajelogo/Akanimodo Housing Scheme that would contain 1,500 housing units. In achieving this drive, the purpose-driven administration has sought for financial help by leveraging on its robust partnership with Sterling Bank Plc and Trustbanc Arthur Asset Management.
And apart from roads, the chairman has redefined grassroots governance with a touch of gold. His administration is among the best across the 774 local governments in Nigeria to distribute bursary awards to undergraduate students annually.
As a further testament of his administration’s commitment to education, educational materials have been distributed to pupils of government-owned schools, and the pupils are now identified with a unique school bag and four notebooks each. Remarkably, Oshinowo had within the first two weeks of his administration initiated the annual distribution of hundreds of GCE forms to indigent students. For him, education is everything.
Further afield, His administration has also constructed several blocks of classrooms and engage in the rehabilitation of dilapidated school buildings, these edifices, looking unique in Alapere, Irepodun and Pastor Adegboyega Primary Schools were fitted with thousands of benches and chairs.
In the area of health, his administration is not relenting with the organization of free medical services for residents, free eye care program, awareness program on life-threatening ailments, recruitment of top-notch health workers aside the workers on the payroll of the Lagos State Government, all these initiatives were borne out of the need to improve the well-being of residents, significantly, the health engagements have recorded the participation of 16,423 individuals. And in order to sustain the healthy status of residents, his administration has embarked on a monthly fitness walk, the exercise was put on hold as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.
The Agboyi-Ketu council chief has initiated several laudable programmes to assist the people: Drilling of water holes to provide clean water in salty territory of the LCDA, Distribution of 10 million relief fund as an initiative to provide instant succour to affected victims of the ENDSARS pandemonium in the LCDA, free Bus Ride for School Children; Procurement of a 250kva Generator Set to keep work and activities going at the council headquarters during power outages; Distribution of five 500Kva transformers to communities in order to address load shedding, Successful hosting of periodic grassroots stakeholders’ summit aimed at feeling the pulse of the populace; Launching of Agboyi-Ketu Waste Evacuation Intervention Program with massive desilting of blocked drainage channels across the LCDA; 62 streets touched so far and the successful hosting of various sporting competitions, the Agboyi-Ketu Table Tennis Championship and Kids Cup. There are many others that time and space constraints would not allow us to mention here.
The development that inhibits the heart of humanity might have been arduous to achieve, but for his versed orientation and grassroot appeal, a good manager of security issues. This unique trait of the council head has heralded a peaceful co-existence between residents and visitors in Agboyi Ketu LCDA, ensuring that the ugly threats to life and property in the LCDA are continuously and promptly nipped in the bud at all times.
As a further-step to this development, his administration has supported the security agencies with vehicles and other key logistics to fortify them in ensuring the good people of the LCDA sleep with their two eyes closed.
Many have wondered how he has been able achieve all these notable achievements with the kind of allocations coming to the LCDA. Apparently, it is evident that Mayor Dele in his political wisdom is not a man after accumulation of resources for personal gains but contentment. He has made the administration of the council a transparent business and has given the people a voice to participate in the political process to determine what the best is always for them and ensure there is concrete development from politics.
Although Oshinowo is a recipient of many awards and accolades across the country, but his exceptional leadership will remain indelible in the minds of the people for a long time to come. But most importantly is his dedication to family despite many schedules. Oshinowo is married to Tawakalitu Taiwo Oshinowo and the union is blessed with three wonderful children.
