Akinwunmi Ambode

Akinwunmi Ambode Biography / Profile

Mr Akinwunmi Ambode is the current governor of Lagos state. He was born on the 14th of June 1963, to the family of Mr Festus Akinwale Ambode in Epe Lagos.

Akinwunmi Ambode Age

Akinwunmi Ambode is 61 years old.

Akinwunmi Ambode Early Life

He attended St. Judes’s Primary School, Ebutte Meta Lagos in 1969. In 1974, he proceeded to Federal Government College Warri for his secondary school education. In 1981, he emerged the second best student in West Africa in the Higher School Certificate Examination. He then proceeded to the University of Lagos for his higher education and obtained a Bachelors Degree (BSc.) in Accounting in 1984.

Akinwunmi Ambode Career

Ambode started his career with the Central Bank of Nigeria, Sokoto, Sokoto State as a Corp Member during his one year Mandatory National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) Programme.

The Lagos State Waste Disposal Board (Now LAWMA) later employed him as an Accountant on Grade 11. While pursuing his Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) exams he was awarded a Federal Government Scholarship to pursue a Masters Degree in Accounting at the University of Lagos.

By 1987, he had qualified as a Chartered Accountant and had completed his Masters Degree programme in Accounting, specializing in Financial Management. In 1988, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode was appointed the Assistant Treasurer, Badagry Local Government, and in 1991, he was posted to Shomolu Local Government as Auditor and later deployed to Alimosho Local Government as Council Treasurer.

In 1998, he was awarded the US Fulbright Scholarship for the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship program, in Boston University, Massachusetts, USA. His Fellowship Year was spent studying Public Leadership with emphasis on Finance and Accounting.

During this program he had professional internships at The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the Cabinet Office of Administration and Finance (Governor’s Office), City of Boston Treasury Office as well as with the World Bank and IMF.

On his return from the programme, he became acting Auditor General for Local Government an in 2001, the State House of Assembly confirmed his appointment. In January 2005, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode was redeployed to mainstream public service as the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance. By February 2006, he was given the added responsibility of Accountant General for Lagos State, in charge of all the financial activities of the State.

After 27 years in the civil service, Ambode voluntarily retired in August 2012. He founded Brandsmiths Consulting Limited to provide Public Finance and Management Consulting services to government at all levels, both parastatals and agencies.

Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode is an active member of the Federal Government College, Warri Old Students Association (FEGOCOWOSA). He was two-time chairman of the Lagos State Branch, and until recently, the National President of the Association, a position he held for three years.

His belief in mentoring and passion for passing on leadership skills gave birth to La Roche Leadership Foundation, which he founded in 2012.

In May 2015, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode contested in the gubernatorial elections on the membership of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and emerged winner, hence, Governor of Lagos State.