Exclusive Interview with Dr. Ifeoluwa Wole-Osho (PART 2)

Dr. Ifeoluwa Wole-Osho

Welcome to the part two of our exclusive Interview with Dr. Ifeoluwa Wole-Osho.

If you miss the part one of our interview, kindly view it on this 👉👉 link. 

Section 3: Understanding Alimosho

Why did you choose to represent Alimosho Federal Constituency?

Alimosho is not an abstract political constituency to me. It is where my family has lived, worked, worshipped and built institutions. My mother’s work in education is rooted here, and much of my family and community life has developed here.

Alimosho also represents the opportunities and pressures of urban Nigeria. It contains professionals, artisans, traders, students, civil servants, entrepreneurs and families who commute across Lagos every day. Its size, diversity and economic energy deserve serious federal representation.

In your opinion, what are the three biggest problems facing Alimosho today?

The first is economic opportunity, particularly youth unemployment and underemployment. Many young people are educated or skilled but cannot find stable pathways into work.

The second is infrastructure. Roads, drainage, transportation, electricity and waste management affect productivity, health and quality of life.

The third is the declining quality of public institutions, especially education, healthcare and security. Residents often pay privately for services government should provide and still pay taxes and levies.

These problems are connected. Poor infrastructure weakens businesses, weak businesses reduce employment, and unemployment increases insecurity and social frustration.

What do you think previous representatives have done well?

It would be unfair to claim that nothing has been done. There have been constituency interventions, empowerment programmes, community engagements and efforts to attract projects.

Some representatives have also maintained relationships with traditional institutions, community leaders and political structures in the constituency. Those connections matter.

Public service should not be evaluated through contempt. Where something has worked, it should be acknowledged and improved.

Where do you think they have fallen short?

The main weakness has been the absence of a transparent, measurable and long-term constituency development plan.

Residents often hear about projects after decisions have already been made. They may not know the budget, contractor, timeline or expected outcome. Empowerment programmes are sometimes treated as isolated events rather than part of a strategy for employment or enterprise development.

Representation must go beyond distributing items. It should include legislation, oversight, transparent project tracking and a constituency office capable of solving problems throughout the year.

How connected are you with the grassroots in Alimosho?

My campaign has been engaging residents through community meetings, voter-registration support, volunteer mobilisation, professional networks, churches, young people and local organisers.

I am also deliberately reaching beyond people who are already politically active. Many residents are not members of political parties but are deeply affected by political decisions. Their voices matter just as much.

Grassroots connection is not something a candidate completes before an election. It must become a permanent method of representation.

What have you learned from engaging directly with residents?

I have learnt that people understand their problems very clearly. They may not use policy language, but they know where government has failed them.

A trader may describe the effect of electricity and multiple levies more accurately than a long economic report. A parent can explain what overcrowded classrooms mean. A commuter knows which road failure is destroying productive hours.

I have also learnt that people are not asking for miracles. They want honesty, accessibility, follow-through and evidence that someone is paying attention after the election.

Section 4: Vision and Agenda

What is your vision for Alimosho Federal Constituency?

My vision is for Alimosho to have representation equal to its human and economic importance.

I want a constituency where young people can move from education into employment, entrepreneurs can access markets and support, public projects can be tracked, and residents can communicate with their representative through a functioning constituency system.

Representation should connect Alimosho to federal opportunities while also holding federal agencies accountable for projects affecting the constituency.

If elected, what will be your first priority?

My first priority will be to establish a professional Constituency Service and Data Office.

The office will conduct a comprehensive needs assessment, document existing federal projects, identify abandoned or delayed interventions and create a public constituency development plan.

Before promising new projects, we must understand what has already been approved, what has been funded and what has failed to reach completion.

What specific bills or motions do you intend to sponsor?

My initial legislative priorities will include three areas.

First, I will pursue legislation requiring clearer public disclosure and tracking of constituency and federal projects, including their budgets, contractors, locations, timelines and implementation status.

Second, I will work on a National Technical and Digital Apprenticeship framework that connects young people to accredited training, private-sector placements and measurable employment outcomes.

Third, I will sponsor motions for coordinated federal intervention in critical Alimosho infrastructure, including federal roads, drainage, education, healthcare facilities and transportation links.

The final legal language must be developed with legislative experts, relevant institutions and constituents. I do not believe in announcing bills whose consequences have not been properly studied.

How do you plan to attract federal projects to Alimosho?

Federal projects do not come only through speeches. They require evidence, budget engagement, committee work, relationships with ministries and persistent follow-up.

My office will maintain an evidence-based project portfolio for Alimosho. Each proposal will identify the need, location, responsible agency, cost range and expected social or economic value.

I will also work with relevant ministries, departments and agencies before and during the federal budget process and publicly track the progress of approved interventions.

What strategies do you have for tackling youth unemployment?

A federal legislator cannot create thousands of jobs by announcement. The role is to help build pathways through legislation, oversight, partnerships and access to federal programmes.

My strategy will focus on technical and digital apprenticeships, industry partnerships, entrepreneurship support, career guidance and better connections between training institutions and employers.

Training must be tied to actual demand. We should not continue issuing certificates for programmes that have no clear relationship with jobs, contracts or markets.

How will you improve access to quality education?

Education is shared across different levels of government, so I will not pretend that a federal representative directly controls every public school.

My role will include strengthening oversight of federal education funding, attracting digital laboratories, libraries and technical-training projects, supporting teacher development and ensuring that federal programmes reach Alimosho schools transparently.

I will also advocate for a renewed emphasis on technical and vocational education. Not every child must follow the same academic route before becoming respected or economically productive.

What are your plans for healthcare?

Primary healthcare is mainly administered at state and local levels, but federal legislators still influence funding, insurance, public-health programmes and oversight.

I will advocate for better-equipped primary healthcare centres, maternal and child-health interventions, health-insurance enrolment, preventive health campaigns and stronger referral systems.

My office will also support periodic community health programmes, but these must complement functioning institutions rather than become temporary publicity events.

Infrastructure remains a concern in many communities. What solutions do you propose?

The first step is to identify which level of government is responsible for each road, drainage channel or public facility. Politicians frequently make promises without acknowledging jurisdiction.

My office will maintain a public infrastructure map, showing the responsible agency and the status of interventions. For federal infrastructure, I will pursue budgetary inclusion and oversight. For state and local projects, I will coordinate advocacy and make the responsibility visible.

Transparency creates pressure. When citizens know which agency is responsible, it becomes harder for every level of government to blame another.

How will you support women and girls in the constituency?

My agenda will support women through access to enterprise financing, digital tools, markets, maternal healthcare, professional training and leadership opportunities.

For girls, the priorities include safe schools, STEM and digital education, mentorship and support against violence or exploitation.

Women must also participate in designing constituency programmes. Policies for women should not be developed entirely by men and then presented as gifts.

What opportunities do you plan to create for entrepreneurs and small businesses?

My experience building a technology company has shown me that entrepreneurs need more than motivational seminars.

They need access to finance, customers, digital tools, reliable information, trusted transactions and support navigating government programmes.

My constituency office will create a business-support desk that connects qualified enterprises to federal grants, loans, procurement opportunities and training. It will also build partnerships with banks, technology companies and development organisations.

What role do you believe technology should play in governance?

Technology should make government easier to understand, easier to access and harder to manipulate.

I intend to use a digital platform for project tracking, constituent case management, public consultations and periodic performance reporting. Residents should be able to submit concerns and receive a reference number instead of repeatedly explaining the same problem to different people.

However, digital governance must not exclude residents without smartphones or reliable internet. Physical offices, telephone channels and community representatives must remain available.

How will you ensure inclusiveness for persons living with disabilities?

Inclusion must begin with listening to persons with disabilities and the organisations representing them.

My constituency office will be physically and digitally accessible. Persons with disabilities will be represented in advisory structures and programme design.

I will also support stronger implementation of disability legislation, accessibility standards, inclusive education, assistive technology and employment protections. Inclusion should be part of every project, not an additional paragraph included after decisions have been made.

Section 5: Youth and Leadership

As a young politician, what unique perspective do you bring?

I bring experience across science, engineering, technology, education, research and entrepreneurship.

I have built organisations, worked with multidisciplinary teams, taught students and developed products for real users. That means I understand both policy language and the practical difficulties of implementation.

My generation also lives directly inside the digital economy. We understand how quickly technology is changing work, communication, commerce and political participation.

Why should young Nigerians participate more actively in politics?

Young Nigerians already experience the consequences of politics through unemployment, education, taxation, insecurity and the cost of living. Avoiding politics does not protect anyone from political decisions.

Participation does not mean everyone must contest an election. Young people can join parties, organise communities, study budgets, support candidates, volunteer, monitor projects and hold office holders accountable.

When competent people withdraw, they leave the field to those who are comfortable with the existing system.

What message do you have for young people who have lost faith in government?

Their frustration is justified. Government has made many promises and repeatedly failed to deliver.

But losing faith in a particular set of leaders should not mean surrendering ownership of the country. Government belongs to citizens, even when those occupying office behave as though it belongs to them.

We must convert anger into organisation, evidence, participation and sustained pressure. Outrage that lasts only a few days is easy for bad leadership to survive.

What leadership qualities do you believe every public office holder should possess?

Integrity, competence, courage, empathy, discipline and humility.

A leader must know enough to recognise good advice but must also be humble enough to listen to people who understand a subject better.

Leadership also requires the ability to admit failure. Continuing a bad policy simply to avoid embarrassment is not strength. It is an expensive form of pride.

To be Continued.... 

Visit his campaign website on https://ifewoleosho.com.ng/