When Ruth Abisola Olusanya assumed office as the first female Commissioner for Agriculture in Lagos State, she broke a 56-year barrier and stepped into history with a mission to redefine the sector. Appointed Special Adviser on Agriculture before becoming Commissioner in 2020 and reappointed in 2023, her leadership has been marked by innovation, resilience, and a commitment to ensuring that Lagos remains food-secure in the face of global and local challenges.
Olusanya’s journey into agriculture is rooted in her childhood in Ikorodu, where she grew up in a polygamous family of eight children. Her father, who served twice as Commissioner for Agriculture in Lagos State, was the most influential figure in her upbringing. A man of quiet passion, he filled their homestead with life—whether through backyard poultry, a snailery, or even a solitary ram that became part of the family’s daily rhythm. Through his example, she absorbed the values of hard work, empathy, and integrity, and most importantly, a reverence for agriculture not merely as a profession but as a way of life.
Her education provided a strong foundation for the leadership she now embodies. After completing her primary education at St. Margaret Nursery and Primary School, Ikorodu, she attended Queen’s College, Yaba, Lagos. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture from the University of Lagos in 2006, before obtaining an MBA in General Management from Lagos Business School in 2011. These academic milestones, combining technical precision and managerial expertise, sharpened her problem-solving skills and prepared her for the complexities of designing systems—whether in architecture or agriculture.
Interestingly, Olusanya’s career did not begin in agriculture but in architecture, where she honed her skills in systems design and execution. However, her growing awareness of global issues such as food security and sustainability inspired a shift. In 2011, she joined Olam International under its West African management training programme, quickly rising to a senior management role within two years. There, she led operations across Ghana, expanding markets, boosting profits, and managing supply chains. Over nearly a decade, she worked with stakeholders across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, experiences that broadened her worldview and gave her a deep understanding of global food systems.
In August 2019, she was appointed Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Agriculture, where she played a key role in consolidating management and operational strategies for the Lagos Rice Mill project, one of the state’s flagship food security initiatives. By November 2020, she was appointed Commissioner of Agriculture, becoming the first woman to head the Ministry since its creation in 1966. Her first term saw the rollout of the Lagos State Agricultural and Food Systems Roadmap (2021–2025), which aimed to achieve food sufficiency, reduce dependence on imports, and build resilience into the state’s food systems.
When she was reappointed in 2023 for a second term, Olusanya’s duties expanded in scope. She was tasked with carrying forward the Roadmap while driving specific initiatives such as the Red Meat Transformation Strategy, which focuses on traceability, processing, feedlots, and cold-chain logistics; the Agripreneurship Programme, which empowers youth and women with training and access to resources; and the development of food logistics hubs and middle-level markets to improve distribution across Lagos. Her ministry has also worked to boost rice production through the Imota Rice Mill, strengthen aquaculture, and promote urban farming, all while attracting private-sector partnerships to ensure sustainability and scale.
Indeed, Ruth Abisola Olusanya stands as both a trailblazer and a steward of legacy. Her journey—rooted in the lessons of her father, sharpened by global corporate experience, and guided by academic excellence—has redefined what leadership in agriculture can achieve. Significantly, she holds the distinction of being not only the first female Commissioner for Agriculture in Lagos State but also the youngest ever to occupy the office since the creation of the state, proving that age and gender are no barriers to vision, competence, and transformative leadership.
