Sanni Ganiyu Babatunde
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Sanni Ganiyu Babatunde is a Nigerian politician who contested the 2023 State Houses of Assembly Elections as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Lagos.
Biography
Hon. Sanni Ganiyu Babatunde Okanlawon, popularly known as OKLA, is a Nigerian chartered accountant and politician.
He currently serves as a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, representing Kosofe Constituency I under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Before his legislative career, he served in the executive arm of the Lagos State Government as the Special Adviser to the Governor on Food Security, where he played a pivotal role in the LAKE Rice initiative.
Sanni Ganiyu Okanlawon was born on March 28, 1965, in Lagos State.
He began his education at St. Agnes Primary School, Maryland, obtaining his First School Leaving Certificate in 1976.
He proceeded to Victory High School, Ikeja, for his secondary education, graduating in 1982.
He pursued higher education at the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), where he earned an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in Accountancy in 1990 and a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Accountancy in 1998.
Committed to professional development, he obtained a Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) in Management from the University of Calabar in 2000 and a Master's in Business Administration (MBA) from Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, in 2006.
Before his election into the legislature, Okanlawon served as the Special Adviser on Food Security to the then-Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode.
During his tenure, he was instrumental in the execution of the LAKE Rice partnership between Lagos and Kebbi States, a strategic initiative aimed at boosting local rice production and ensuring food security in Lagos.
In 2019, he contested and won the seat to represent Kosofe Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly.
He was re-elected for a second term in the 2023 general elections.
In the Assembly, he has served in various leadership capacities, including as the Chairman of the House Committee on Local Government Administration, Chieftaincy Affairs, and Rural Development.
In this role, he oversees the activities of local councils and traditional institutions in the state.
Hon. Okanlawon is known for his focus on education and youth development through the OKLA Scholarship Scheme.
He has awarded scholarships to indigent students in public tertiary institutions across Nigeria. Notable beneficiaries include first-class graduates from the University of Lagos who received financial support through his foundation.
In November 2025, he was conferred with the Islamic chieftaincy title of Baba Adinni of Mende Araromi Central Mosque, Maryland, in recognition of his contributions to the religious community. His wife was simultaneously honored as the Amira-ul-Hajj.
Party Positions
Policy positions from the All Progressives Congress (APC) party manifesto.
Agriculture
Launches the Irrigate Nigeria Project as a public-private partnership to develop small-scale irrigation and water catchment systems using modern technology to boost agricultural productivity.
Security & Defense
Will deploy modern aerial surveillance and advanced technology to monitor and deter intrusions into oil pipelines, power stations, and other critical national infrastructure in real time.
Environment & Climate
Accelerates the environmental cleanup and re-establishment of fisheries and profitable aquacultural activities in the Niger-Delta region to counter violent extremism and poverty-driven disaffection.
Economy & Trade
Will implement the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and additional favorable policies to attract investment in deep-water assets within 6 months, including encouraging signature bonus negotiations and royalty reliefs.
Infrastructure
Creates regional industrial hubs in specific zones (North West, North East, South East, South South, South West, North Central) to focus on labor-intensive manufacturing, with tailored investments (e.g., textiles, dry ports, glass, pottery, solid minerals, regulated mining).
Enterprise grant support
Work with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to simplify loan processes for commercial banks, mandate federally owned banks to provide low-cost loans to youth-led enterprises, and expand business incubation centers to support youth innovation.
Energy
Will mandate gas metering equipment on all facilities where gas flaring occurs within 6 months and establish a special enforcement unit to monitor compliance with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) on gas flaring reduction, with non-compliance leading to financial penalties for affected communities.
Governance & Reform
Reserve at least 3 cabinet positions for individuals under 40 and 6 more positions for members under the age of 40, and mandate that at least 20% of political appointments to Ministries/Dangomas (MDAs) be reserved for individuals under 40.
Education
Raises the priority of addressing out-of-school children, establishes a task force to review and strengthen programs like school feeding, and aims to reduce disaffected youth recruitment by violent groups.
Healthcare
Will establish a network of upgraded, equipped, and staffed general hospitals in every Local Government Area, tertiary facilities in each State, and world-class specialist hospitals in each geo-political zone to improve healthcare accessibility and quality.
Technology & Digital
Supports the development of MSMEs through partnerships with fintech players to expand access to capital and business development services.
Reliefs and scholarships
Commits to a conditional income support program requiring recipients to meet human capital goals (school attendance, healthcare, nutrition) in exchange for payments.
Other Candidates in Lagos
Tunde Fashina
LPBalogun Ronke
SDPOlatunji Ganiyu Debori
SDPOshodi Lateef Olalekan
SDPSuliamon Ishola
SDPPhilips John
SDPBrowse
Sources
Bio, State of Origin: Wikipedia ↗