Mr Gbolahan Owodunni Oki has been appointed by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State as the new Chief Resilience Officer of the state. He succeeds the pioneer Chief Resilience Officer, Mr Simon Gusah.
The Lagos Resilience Office was created from the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget following the announcement by 100 Resilient Cities (100RC), pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation, selecting Lagos to join the 100RC Network to build urban resilience in 2016.
The office has the mandate of making Lagos better, through the promotion of the wellbeing of the citizenry and building resilience by helping people, communities and institutions prepare and emerge stronger from acute shocks and chronic stresses.
The decision to establish office was premised on the fact that Lagos is by nature susceptible to some challenges which could be best overcome through knowledge sharing with developed world countries that had encountered similar challenges in the past.
Before his new appointment, Mr Oki was the Deputy Chief Resilience Officer with Lagos State Resilience Office (LASRO).
The new Head of LASRO has over 21 years’ experience in the construction and built environment, especially in Local Government Urban and Regional Planning Approval Procedures as well as Management and Development processes.
Till date, Mr Oki has acquired experience in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the State Government including the Ministry of Waterfront and Infrastructure, Lagos State Building Control Agency, (LASBCA), Lagos State Ministry of Works, Lagos State Physical Planning and Permit Authority (LASPPA) and Lagos State Urban Renewal Authority, among others.
He obtained both his Bachelor of Science, BSc, and Masters of Science, MSc, degrees in Architecture from the University of Jos, Plateau State and he is also a certified member of Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) and Architect Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON).
Some of the key projects executed by the new Chief Resilience Officer include Isale-Gangan Multi-Storey Residential Development (first of its kind in Lagos State) designed and being managed by LASURA staff; Platinum Gold Housing Estate Mega-Structure Project, Igbosuku, Lagos; 1st Formwork – American Technology Construction Project in Nigeria, owned by Ibile Holdings; Black Diamond, a 15-Storey International Hotel (occupied by Oil and Gas consortium), Design of new state-of-the-art Multi-Levels Robot Parking for Lagos State Government in Lagos Central Business District (Lagos Island), Lagos State Urban Renewal Project Office Complex on C.B.D (Lagos Island) and Multi-Storey Residential Design Proposal for Adeniji Adele Housing Estate (Lagos Island) among others.
