Born on November 27, 1970, in Ojo Alaworo, Lagos State, Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule grew up in a community that valued learning and service. She attended Awori College, Ojo, before enrolling at Lagos State University (LASU), where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Islamic Education in 1992. Driven by a passion for teaching, she returned to LASU for a Master’s in Curriculum Studies and later completed a Ph.D. in 2012, focusing on early childhood development and school administration Wikipedia WARDC.
Academic & Early Public Service Career
Adebule launched her career as a junior lecturer in Religious Studies at Michael Otedola College of Primary Education, Epe. She soon transferred to LASU’s Department of Curriculum Activities, where she helped review the state’s education policy. Her hands-on experience in classrooms and curriculum design earned her respect as both an academic and a practical reformer WARDC.
Rise Through Lagos State Government
In October 2000, Adebule stepped into public administration when Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed her Commissioner I of the Post-Primary Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM). Over the next five years she oversaw teacher recruitment and welfare, helping to professionalize Lagos’s secondary schools. From 2005 to 2011, she served on the Lagos State Scholarship Board and later as LASU’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), balancing academic insight with policy leadership Wikipedia.
Her skills caught the eye of Governor Babatunde Fashola, who in July 2011 named her Secretary to the State Government (SSG). As SSG, Adebule coordinated Lagos’s ministries and drove cross-agency reforms, sharpening her reputation for efficiency and consensus building statecraftinc.com.
Deputy Governor of Lagos State (2015–2019)
On May 29, 2015, Adebule was sworn in as Deputy Governor alongside Governor Akinwunmi Ambode—becoming the sixth woman to hold that office. She championed educational initiatives (including free school textbooks), promoted early-childhood programs, and led the state’s Girl-Child Education Taskforce. Her tenure strengthened public-private partnerships and expanded Lagos’s reach in basic education, setting new benchmarks for service delivery Wikipedia statecraftinc.com.
Senator for Lagos West (2023–Present)
In the February 2023 elections, Adebule ran under the All Progressives Congress (APC) and won the Lagos West senatorial seat. Sworn in on June 13, 2023, she became one of only three women in the 10th Senate. As Senator, she sits on the Committees for Education, Women’s Affairs, and Public Accounts. Among her first achievements was sponsoring a bill to improve teacher training nationwide and advocating for federal bursaries targeting female students from underserved communities voter.ng African Leadership Magazine.
Legacy & Role in the 35% Project
Dr. Adebule’s journey—from lecturer to deputy governor to senator—demonstrates how deep expertise in education can translate into impactful governance. Her focus on curricula reform, girls’ education, and capacity building aligns closely with The 35% Project’s mission to boost women’s representation and influence. As Nigeria works toward its 35% gender-parity goal, Adebule’s career offers a vivid blueprint for leveraging policy know-how to empower the next generation of women leaders.