On 3 August, colleagues across Lagos State marked the birth anniversary of Mr Bode Agoro with genuine admiration. The tributes were not just for a birthday; they were an acknowledgement of a public servant whose career shows how quiet, disciplined leadership can move a state forward and strengthen a nation’s fabric. As the 22nd Head of Service (HoS) of Lagos State, Agoro exemplifies what happens when competence, courage and care meet the everyday demands of governance.
Agoro’s story is a Lagos story: practical, reform-minded, and relentlessly focused on delivery. He joined the Lagos State Public Service in 2003 and rose through the Lands Bureau as Director of Land Services and later Director of Land Regularisation, before being appointed Permanent Secretary of the Lands Bureau on 3 August 2015. That progression was not ceremonial; it was earned through years of redesigning processes that affect citizens’ everyday lives—how they secure titles, register property, and protect their investments.
When Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu appointed him Head of Service, effective 30 September 2023, the choice reflected a track record of competence and credibility. Agoro is, by training and temperament, a systems builder—someone who understands that lasting reforms depend on processes that are clear, fair and fast.
As Permanent Secretary, Agoro championed practical fixes that speed up service and cut red tape. He pushed to accelerate the processing of Governor’s Consent to encourage formalisation and unlock liquidity in the property market. He backed the implementation of the Land Grabbers Law to protect rightful owners and restore confidence in land transactions. And when COVID-era disruptions risked stalling documentation, he supported innovations such as the Land Registry ‘DropBox’ facility—simple, citizen-centred steps that kept services moving.
Those foundations fed into Lagos’s ongoing digital pivot. In 2024, the State launched an automated application portal that allows people to verify, search and apply for land titles online—shrinking room for middlemen, saving time, and improving transparency. Government communications have credited the continuity of this digital journey to the groundwork laid at the Lands Bureau under Agoro’s watch.
As HoS, Agoro’s first days in office were marked by a strong signal on staff welfare—a five-fold increase in the Car Refurbishment Loan Scheme for civil servants approved at his swearing-in. The message was clear: a motivated workforce delivers better public value. Lagos is a fast-growing, high-pressure megacity; its civil service needs leaders who care about both standards and people. Agoro’s stance on welfare, training and professional ethics is about more than morale—it is a productivity strategy for a city that must keep pace with its ambitions.
There is a human story beneath the résumé. In interviews, Agoro has spoken candidly about turning away from a professional football path to dedicate himself to public service—a decision that reveals a leadership core built on discipline, resilience and love of community. It is this blend of humility and drive that resonates with civil servants and citizens alike: leadership as service, not spectacle.
First, reform is a relay, not a solo sprint. Agoro’s tenure shows how consistent process improvements—digitising records, tightening enforcement, simplifying approvals—compound into real gains for citizens and for the economy. The work he championed in land administration reduces uncertainty, cuts transaction costs and widens access to credit, which strengthens Lagos’s role as Nigeria’s commercial engine.
Second, people make policy work. Investments in civil-service capability and welfare are not perks; they are levers for reliable execution. A professional, motivated workforce is the difference between good ideas and great outcomes.
Third, integrity builds trust. By backing rules that protect property rights and by promoting transparent, digital processes, Agoro has helped tilt the system towards fairness—inviting more citizens and investors to engage the formal economy.
On 3 August, well-wishers publicly celebrated the Head of Service. The warm messages reflected more than courtesy; they recognised a servant-leader whose steady hand is felt across ministries and agencies. But the most meaningful tribute is to live out the lessons of his journey: choose service over self, institution over personality, and long-term value over short-term headlines.
For young professionals wondering whether public service can still be a noble calling; for mid-career managers debating whether to push one more reform through; for leaders weighing convenience against integrity—Agoro’s example is a quiet but powerful answer. You do not need a motorcade to move a city. You need the courage to fix processes, the patience to build teams, and the humility to let results speak.
As Lagos moves through its next chapter, the standard he sets—results without noise, reform without drama, service without ego—offers a blueprint for anyone determined to make their work count. That is a legacy worthy of celebration on any birthday, and a challenge to all of us to turn our own roles—wherever we sit—into platforms for nation-building, one decision at a time.
Happy birth anniversary, Mr Bode Agoro—and thank you for showing what service, done well, can still achieve.
“Mr Bode Agoro’s life and leadership teach us that building institutions of excellence requires humility, foresight, and daily acts of courageous service. He is a shining example of purpose-driven leadership in action.” — Dr Alim Abubakre, Founder, TEXEM UK
