Ayisat Agbaje-Okunade has a question she has been asking since the beginning of her career, and it has shaped everything she has built.
What becomes possible when capable people are given the right environment, the right exposure, and the right support?
That question took her from community development work in London, to the Kashim Ibrahim Fellowship, to advising Governors in Kaduna and Lagos, to being appointed by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in 2023 as Executive Secretary of the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy, one of Lagos State’s most ambitious investments in leadership development and public service excellence. And it is the same question that drives her today as the Academy celebrates the graduation of its third cohort and immediately inducting a new one, while simultaneously launching the Leader Room, a new monthly webinar series designed to make honest, practical conversations about leadership more accessible to young Nigerians.
Ayisat Agbaje-Okunade is a public sector leader, institutional builder, and youth development advocate whose career sits at the intersection of governance, leadership development, and social impact. She is a Kashim Ibrahim Fellow, a Harvard-certified professional in government, and a University of Cambridge-certified expert in circular economy and sustainability strategies. She is the founder of the AA Initiative, a nonprofit that has impacted over 5,000 vulnerable Nigerians. She has been recognised by the EKO 100 Aspire Women Award, nominated for the Future Awards, and acknowledged by Equality Now for her research on gender equality and public service. And she has just received the National Leadership Conference 2026 Award for Excellence in Public Service Leadership.
What defines Ayisat most is not the recognition. It is the conviction behind every room she has walked into and every institution she has touched, that leadership is not about the position you occupy. It is about the systems you strengthen, the people you develop, and the opportunities you create for others to succeed.
In this conversation, Ayisat opens up about the journey that brought her home to Nigeria, what the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy is really doing to the young people who go through it, what the Leader Room is and why she felt compelled to build it, and what she wants the next generation of Nigerian women to understand about public service as a vehicle for real, lasting change.
You are one of Nigeria’s emerging public sector leaders at the intersection of governance, youth development, and institutional building. Before all of that, who is Ayisat, and what set this journey in motion?
At the heart of it, Ayisat is someone who believes deeply in the power of people and in the responsibility that comes with being given an opportunity to serve.
My journey has been shaped by a desire to contribute meaningfully to the development of Nigeria, particularly by creating opportunities for young people to participate, learn, lead and ultimately become part of the solution.
I have always been interested in the question of what becomes possible when capable people are given the right environment, exposure and support. That question has followed me through my different experiences in public service, youth development and institutional building.
Over time, I have come to understand that leadership is not simply about the position you occupy. It is about the systems you strengthen, the people you develop and the opportunities you create for others to succeed.
That understanding has influenced much of the work I do today.
You came back to Nigeria when you could have built a comfortable career abroad. What called you home and what did answering that call teach you about what you were actually here to do?
Coming home was ultimately about purpose, but it was also a spiritual decision for me. There was a deep sense that my journey could not be separated from where I come from, my culture, my heritage and the people who shaped me.
I had the opportunity to build a comfortable and successful career abroad, but I knew that there was something deeply meaningful about returning home and contributing to the country that had given me so much. For me, it was not simply about coming back to Nigeria; it was about reconnecting with a part of myself and understanding that my heritage carries a responsibility to contribute to the society I am part of.
Nigeria has also taught me that wanting to make a difference and actually making a difference are two very different things. You have to be willing to understand the context, work within the realities of the system and, importantly, remain committed even when progress is slower than you would like.
Coming home made my sense of responsibility much stronger. I realised that I was not simply here to have a successful career. I am here to contribute to building something that will outlive my individual role to create opportunities, strengthen institutions and, in my own way, leave something meaningful for the generation coming after me.
Nigeria has a leadership problem that everyone talks about and very few people do anything structural about. What made you decide that building leaders, not just being one, was going to be your life’s work?
I became increasingly convinced that young people and human capital development infrastructure cannot be treated as an afterthought.
I often say that young people make up nearly half of Nigeria’s population, but they represent 100% of our future. If we are serious about the future of this country, then we must be equally serious about how we prepare, equip and empower the people who will inherit the responsibility of leading it.
We often talk about the need for better leaders, but we do not always invest enough in deliberately preparing people for leadership. We cannot wait until someone occupies a position before we begin teaching them how to lead effectively and ethically. Leadership development has to begin much earlier, and it has to be intentional.
Leadership requires competence, character, exposure, critical thinking and an understanding of how institutions and systems work. It also requires the ability to work with people, solve problems, take responsibility and make decisions that are bigger than one’s personal interests.
That is what led me to focus on human capital development, particularly leadership development, rather than simply seeking to be recognised as a leader myself.
I believe leadership is most powerful when it is reproduced. For me, the question is not just, How many people can I lead? It is, How many people can I equip to lead others? I want to build people who can recreate systems, transfer knowledge, teach others and prepare the next generation to lead better than we did.
The real measure of leadership, for me, is therefore not how many people know your name or how prominent your position is. It is how many people are better equipped, more capable and more confident because they encountered your leadership.
That is why I see leadership development as much bigger than producing people who can speak well, win positions or occupy important offices. It is about developing people who can think critically, serve ethically, understand systems, collaborate across differences, solve problems and take responsibility for the communities and institutions they are part of.
It is also about creating a culture where leadership is not concentrated in a few individuals, but becomes a shared capacity within society. We need people who can build institutions, strengthen systems and, importantly, develop other people who will continue the work.
For me, that is the long-term work. If we can invest in people today, we are not just preparing individuals for leadership; we are building the human capital that our institutions, communities and country will depend on tomorrow.
That is the kind of leadership Nigeria needs, and that is the kind of work I want to dedicate myself to.
Tell us about the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy and what it actually does to a young person who goes through it. What changes in them?
The Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy was created from a very simple belief: if we want better leadership outcomes, we have to intentionally develop better people and better leaders.
The Academy is designed to give young Nigerians more than theoretical knowledge. It gives them practical exposure to leadership, places them within government ministries, agencies and institutions, and allows them to understand how policies, programmes and public institutions actually work.
But beyond the technical exposure, what we are really interested in is a shift in mindset.
We want young people to understand that leadership should never be tied to a title. You do not have to be called a Director, Commissioner, CEO or hold any particular office before you can make a difference. Leadership is ultimately about responsibility, initiative and your willingness to contribute to solving the problems around you.
So, what changes in a young person who goes through the Academy is often their understanding of themselves and their responsibility to society. They begin to see public service differently. They become more aware of how institutions work, how decisions are made and how they can contribute meaningfully within those systems.
More importantly, they begin to see themselves not simply as beneficiaries of society, but as contributors to it. They move from asking, “What can I get?” to asking, “What problem can I help solve?”
That is very important to us because, ultimately, we are not particularly concerned with the titles our young people will eventually hold. Titles are temporary. What matters is the kind of citizens they become and the value they are able to create wherever they find themselves.
My hope is that every young person who comes through the Academy leaves with greater competence, confidence, exposure and a stronger sense of responsibility. I want them to leave understanding that they have a role to play in shaping their communities, institutions and country.
You just launched the Leadership Room, a monthly webinar series that is part of the Academy’s growing ecosystem. What conversation were you tired of not having publicly, and what do you want the Leadership Room to become?
I was tired of seeing conversations about leadership reduced to titles, personalities and positions, while the actual work of leadership was often discussed at a very surface level.
We have many seminars, conferences and speaking engagements, but I felt there was a need for something more intentional and structured—a space where young people could continuously learn, ask questions, engage with experienced leaders and have conversations that are both practical and relatable.
The world young people are navigating today is complex. The social and political environment can create a great deal of uncertainty and, sometimes, anxiety about the future. I believe that one way we can help young people navigate that uncertainty is by giving them access to knowledge, context and honest conversations with people who have experienced and understand these spaces.
There is so much more to leadership than who has been appointed, who has won an election or who occupies a particular office. I wanted to create a space where we could have honest conversations about what leadership actually requires—the decisions, the failures, the values, the difficult lessons, the realities of navigating institutions and the responsibility that comes with influence.
The Leadership Room is intended to become that space.
I want it to evolve beyond a monthly webinar into a learning ecosystem where leadership is explored continuously and from different perspectives. A place where young people can learn not just from the successes of leaders, but also from their failures, their difficult decisions and the lessons they have gathered along the way.
I want to bring together people across different sectors and generations—public servants, policymakers, entrepreneurs, professionals, academics, community leaders and other changemakers—to share knowledge and experiences that young people can learn from and apply.
Most importantly, I want the Leadership Room to make leadership feel accessible. You should not have to wait until you have a title, an appointment or a certain level of influence before you begin to think of yourself as someone who can contribute.
Ultimately, I want every young person who participates to leave with greater clarity, better questions and a stronger understanding of how they can navigate the world around them and contribute meaningfully to it.
Because leadership should not just be something we talk about. It should be something we learn, practise and continuously improve.
The Academy puts young leaders inside government ministries, agencies, and institutions, not just in classrooms. Why does that kind of real, experiential exposure matter so much, and what does it unlock in people that no lecture ever could?
Because leadership is ultimately practical.
You can teach someone about policy in a classroom, but there is something fundamentally different about watching a policy move from an idea to implementation. You begin to understand the complexity of decision-making, stakeholder management, bureaucracy, resource constraints and the realities that come with serving people.
Experiential exposure also helps young people understand that institutions are made up of people, processes and systems and that improving those systems requires patience, competence and collaboration.
It gives them context.
It also allows them to see themselves differently. A young person who once thought government was something distant suddenly realises, “I can contribute here. I can solve problems here. I can be part of this.”
That shift in perspective can be transformational.
You’ve built a career around leadership, public service and creating opportunities for others. What is one thing your own journey has taught you about yourself?
My journey has taught me that I am more resilient, more adaptable and more purpose-driven than I initially thought.
I have learnt that purpose does not always come with a clear roadmap. Sometimes, you have to take the next step with faith, remain open to learning and allow the journey to shape you along the way.
I have also learnt that I am deeply fulfilled by creating opportunities for other people. Some of the most meaningful moments in my career have not necessarily been the positions I have held or the programmes I have led, but seeing someone gain confidence, discover their capacity or access an opportunity because I chose to create a pathway for them.
That has taught me something important about myself: I am a builder. I am drawn to building people, building systems and building opportunities that can outlive my immediate involvement.
The journey has also taught me that leadership requires humility. You will not always have all the answers, and you will not always get everything right. What matters is your willingness to learn, to listen, to adapt and to keep showing up.
Perhaps most importantly, I have learnt that I do not want my life to be measured simply by what I achieve for myself. I want it to be measured by what becomes possible for other people because I was there.
Nigeria keeps producing brilliant young women who want to serve, and then loses them to systems that were not built to keep them. What needs to change, and what are you personally doing about it through the work you lead?
We need to move beyond simply encouraging women to participate and begin creating systems that make their participation sustainable.
Women need access to mentorship, networks, leadership opportunities, institutional support and spaces where their voices are taken seriously. We also need to recognise that women should not constantly have to prove that they belong in rooms where decisions are being made.
For me, this is also about being intentional about gender balance. When we are building teams, programmes and leadership pipelines, we have to consciously create opportunities for both men and women to participate and lead. Gender balance should not be something we achieve by chance; it should be part of how we design institutions and opportunities from the beginning.
Personally, I believe strongly in creating pathways for women to gain the exposure, experience and confidence they need to participate meaningfully. Through the work I lead, I try to create opportunities for young people, particularly young women, to learn, engage with institutions and see leadership as something that is accessible to them.
I also believe representation matters. When a young woman sees another woman leading, making decisions, building institutions and contributing meaningfully to society, it expands her understanding of what is possible for her. It tells her that there is a place for her at the table and that she does not have to wait for permission to aspire.
But beyond representation, we need to build systems that ensure women can remain at the table. That means creating environments where their contributions are valued, where they have access to opportunities for advancement and where leadership is based on competence and capacity, while also recognising the structural barriers that can limit participation.
Ultimately, I want us to move from simply telling young women that they can lead to actually creating the conditions that enable them to lead and thrive.
Sometimes, the first step to changing a system is helping someone believe that they have a place within it. But the next step is making sure that the system is ready to receive them.
You founded the AA Initiative and have impacted over 5,000 vulnerable Nigerians, entirely outside of your official role. What does it say about the kind of leader you are that your work has never stopped at your job description?
I started the AA Initiative when I was 18, and in many ways, it was through that experience that my understanding of impact, service and leadership began to take shape.
It taught me very early that you do not need to have a large organisation, a significant budget or an official position before you can make a difference. Sometimes, all you need is the willingness to recognise a need and the courage to respond to it.
For me, service has never been confined to a job description. I believe strongly that learning to serve is learning to lead. When you learn to serve, you begin to understand people, their needs and the responsibility that comes with having the ability to make a difference.
That is why I often encourage young people not to wait until they have the perfect job, title or platform before they begin contributing. You can start small. You can volunteer. You can give your time, your skills, your relationships or simply your willingness to help. Impact does not always begin with an institution; sometimes, it begins with one person deciding to do something.
Titles and appointments are temporary. The responsibility to contribute to society is much bigger than any position you hold.
The AA Initiative grew from that belief. Whenever I see a need that I have the capacity to respond to, I believe I have a responsibility to do what I can. Over the years, the initiative has impacted over 5,000 vulnerable Nigerians, and while I am grateful for that number, I see it less as a statistic and more as a reminder of what is possible when people choose to use their resources, skills and relationships in service of others.
It has also shaped the kind of leader I have become. It taught me that leadership is not always about being in front. Sometimes, leadership is about showing up, listening, doing the work and creating opportunities for someone else to move forward.
Ultimately, I want my leadership to be rooted in service. I want to build institutions and programmes that create opportunities for others, but I also want to retain the humility to remember where the journey began—with a willingness to serve.
That, for me, is the essence of leadership: not what you can get from a position, but what you can give because you have been entrusted with one.
Receiving the National Leadership Conference 2026 Award for Excellence in Public Service Leadership is a significant milestone. But beyond the title of the award, what does that moment of recognition actually mean to you, as a woman who has spent years doing this work and creating pathways for the next generation of leaders?
Receiving the award was meaningful to me, not because of the recognition itself, but because of what it represents.
For me, public service has never been about seeking recognition. It has always been about the opportunity to contribute, to serve and to create pathways for other people to grow. So, to have that work recognised through the National Leadership Conference’s Award for Excellence in Public Service Leadership was both humbling and deeply encouraging.
I also see the award as recognition of a journey that started long before any of the positions I hold today. What makes the recognition particularly meaningful to me is that it reinforces something I have always believed: leadership is ultimately about service and the impact you create through that service.
I also receive the award with a great sense of responsibility. Recognition can be affirming, but it should never become the destination. If anything, it should challenge you to do more, to remain accountable to the values that brought you there and to ensure that the work continues to create value beyond you.
As a woman in public service, I am especially conscious of what visibility can mean for the women and young people watching. I know that sometimes seeing someone who looks like you occupying a space can be enough to make you believe that you belong there too. So, I do not take that visibility lightly.
I accept the award with gratitude, but also with the understanding that there is still much work to do. There are more young people to equip, more institutions to strengthen and more opportunities to create.
Ultimately, I hope the recognition serves as a reminder that public service is worthy of our ambition, our excellence and our commitment. And I hope it encourages more young women to see service not as a limitation on what they can achieve, but as one of the most meaningful ways they can use their abilities to create lasting change.
Beyond every appointment and every programme, what do you want the name Ayisat Agbaje-Okunade to mean to the next generation of Nigerian women who dare to believe that public service can be a vehicle for real, lasting change?
I want my name to represent possibility, service and the courage to build.
I want the next generation of Nigerian women to see my journey and understand that you can choose public service without losing your ambition, your individuality or your vision for your life.
You can enter difficult spaces and still remain grounded in your values. You can build institutions. You can create opportunities for others. You can lead with competence and compassion. And you can leave systems better than you found them.
More than anything, I want young women to understand that public service is not about being seen; it is about being useful. It is about being willing to serve, to take responsibility and to contribute to something bigger than yourself.
I believe service is one of the most dignifying things a person can do. There is dignity in using your knowledge, your position, your resources and your opportunities to make life better for someone else.
And I want young women to know that they do not have to wait for permission, a title or a perfect system before they begin. They can start where they are, with what they have, and begin making a difference.
Ultimately, I do not want my legacy to be defined by the positions I held or the programmes I led. I want it to be defined by the people I helped equip, the institutions I helped strengthen and the lives that became better because I chose to serve.
That, to me, is the real privilege of leadership: to be in a position to serve, and to leave behind a world that is a little better than the one you met.
