Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande, who governed Lagos from 1979 to 1983 and who passed on this week aged 91, was so passionate about housing, education and roads infrastructure.

However, providing affordable homes for the mass of the people excited Jakande like nothing else.

It is little wonder that years after he left office, some of the most popular housing estates in Lagos still bear his name.

He was housing and housing was Jakande. He didn't just provide homes, he made sure the homes were affordable and he made sure that these homes were situated in densely populated suburbs.

Jakande knew early enough that housing was going to become one of the biggest challenges of rapidly growing Lagos. And here we are.

Some of Jakande's low-cost housing estates are in Abesan, Abule Nla, Amuwo-Odofin, Anikantamo, Badagry, Dolphin, Epe, Iba, Ijaiye, Ije, Ikorodu, Ipaja, Iponri, Oke-Afa and Surulere among others.

Mention Jakande in Lagos and the first thing that comes to mind is a low-cost, affordable housing estate.

"In so many ways, he is the inspirational father of modern Lagos State. In housing, education, health care, and road construction, he left an indelible imprint.

"Thousands of Lagosian families still reside in the several housing estates he constructed across the state," says former Lagos Governor Bola Tinubu, after Jakande's death was announced on Thursday, February 11, 2021.

Educated in public schools at home, journalism as a calling

Jakande was born in the Epe-tedo area of Lagos on July 23, 1929, to parents from Omu-Aran in Kwara.

He began his education at the Lagos Public School in Enu-Owa, Lagos Island. From here, he proceeded to the Burnham Memorial Methodist School, Port Harcourt where he was at from 1934 to 1943.

He also studied at King's College, Lagos in 1943 and Ilesa Grammar School in 1945 where he edited a Literary newspaper called the ‘Quarterly Mirror.'

The man loved to write and began honing his journalistic skills from secondary school.

Jakande first worked with the Daily Service. In 1953, he joined the Nigerian Tribune where he rose to become Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper.

He left Tribune in 1975 and established John West Publications on whose platform he published The Lagos News.

Jakande was the first President of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN).

Politics

A disciple of late Premier of the Western Region, Obafemi Awolowo, 'Baba Kekere' as Jakande was fondly called, emerged the Lagos governorship candidate of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), Awolowo's party, in 1979.

He won a keenly contested election, beating Ladega Adeniji-Adele of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and Adeniran Ogunsanya of Nigerian People’s Party (NPP), to emerge the first civilian governor of Lagos.

Soon after his swearing-in, Jakande swung into action, making remarkable impact in housing, education, health, and rural development, which were the key programmes in UPN’s manifesto.

He erected 11,729 classrooms within five months and as at 1983, he had built more than 22,000 classrooms.

He established the Lagos State University, Lagos Television, Radio Lagos, Lagos-Badagry expressway and moved the state government secretariat to Alausa from Oba Akinjobi Road in GRA.

"His administration conceived the Round Office from which I operated for eight years as governor but he did not occupy the structure even for one day. This was characteristic of him; for Papa toiled and worked not for his personal benefit but for the future and the good of others," says Tinubu.

Jakande's love for infrastructure provision saw him commence work on the Lagos metroline project.

President Shehu Shagari laid the foundation for the project in 1983. However, this project that was envisioned to ameliorate Lagos' perennial mass transit challenge, was aborted when a military government led by General Muhammadu Buhari truncated the 2nd Republic in 1983.

"Not fair"

As a beneficiary of public and domestic education, Jakande made sure all his children attended public schools in Nigeria.

In 2013, he was asked to comment on the current norm that sees public and elected officials enrolling their kids in schools abroad. Jakande's response was: “I feel that it is wrong and unfair for leaders to educate their children abroad while other children are educated in Nigeria. It is not fair.”

You would be hard pressed to find a better governor in the history of Lagos than Jakande. He did so much in such a short span and was nicknamed 'Action Governor' for his exploits. It is little wonder that Gen Sani Abacha summoned Jakande to serve as his Minister of Works from 1993 to 1998.

The federal government needed Baba Kekere's love for projects and infrastructure as well.

"The gold standard for governance passes on," says Babatunde Fashola who governed Lagos from 2007 to 2015. "Rest In Peace LKJ. Most illustrious predecessor. Condolences to Alhaja and the children."

Current Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu says: "Baba Jakande's record of service as a journalist of repute and a leader of remarkable achievements as governor of Lagos State will remain indelible for generations to come. His death is a colossal loss and he will be missed."

Of course Lagos has been missing Jakande for decades, for no governor after him has attacked the city's urban and housing challenge like he did. In typical Nigerian fashion, most of Jakande's housing estates have been left to rot and decay.

Rest in peace, Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande (July 23, 1929-February 11, 2021).