Lagos Lawmaker Okanlawon declares re-election bid, empowers 360 constituents with ₦100,000 grants

..seeks support for Hamzat, Tinubu

The lawmaker representing Kosofe Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Sanni Ganiyu Okanlawon, popularly known as OKLA, has empowered 110 tertiary undergraduates with ₦100,000 each and provided 250 small business owners with grants of the same amount.

Okanlawon disbursed the support through the Hon. Sanni Ganiyu Babatunde Okanlawon Scholarship Scheme at an event held on Wednesday in Anthony Village, Lagos.

Addressing beneficiaries, the lawmaker said the initiative was driven by a deliberate commitment to support students in tertiary institutions across Nigeria, adding that sustained collaboration would help expand its reach in future editions.

He noted that the programme also prioritises small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), recognising their vital role in economic growth and job creation across the constituency.

“Through targeted support, capacity-building initiatives, and access to opportunities, we aim to strengthen local enterprises, stimulate innovation, and improve livelihoods. This reflects our broader vision of fostering a resilient and self-sustaining local economy,” he said.

Okanlawon also used the occasion to urge constituents to support his bid for a third term in office, while canvassing support for Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat’s governorship ambition and President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid.

Chairman of the scholarship scheme, Lekan Alli-Balogun, described the programme as its third edition, noting that it has evolved into a broader empowerment initiative aimed at preparing young people for future opportunities.

According to him, 110 undergraduate students were selected across wards in Kosofe Constituency I, each receiving ₦100,000, while 250 small business owners also benefited from grants to support their enterprises. He added that the selection process was conducted with transparency and ethical standards, with no interference from the lawmaker.

In his remarks, the Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende, commended Okanlawon for the initiative, noting that it would have a meaningful impact on beneficiaries.

Ogunlende urged recipients to make prudent use of the grants, stressing that the funds were meant for investment rather than consumption, describing them as “seeds that will germinate” if properly invested in their businesses and livelihoods.