For students across Lagos State, politics is not something that happens only during campaigns. Government decisions affect our classrooms, lecture theatres, laboratories, transportation, access to technology, skills development and, ultimately, our opportunities after graduation.
As Lagos approaches the 2027 governorship election, students therefore have a legitimate interest in examining the records, ideas and priorities of the people seeking to lead the state.
One name already prominent in that conversation is Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, the current Deputy Governor of Lagos State.
Education Must Remain at the Centre
One of the clearest issues for students is education.
In September 2026, as the new academic year commenced, Hamzat described education as the foundation of a stronger and more prosperous Lagos and called for collaboration to provide quality, technology-driven and future-ready education.
For students, “future-ready education” goes beyond simply having access to a classroom.
It includes functional infrastructure, laboratories, digital resources, competent teachers and lecturers, research opportunities and an educational system capable of preparing young people for a rapidly changing economy.
Lagos already has several state-owned tertiary institutions serving different areas of education, including Lagos State University, Lagos State University of Science and Technology and Lagos State University of Education.
The question for students is therefore straightforward:
What should the next phase of Lagos’ education policy look like?
From Certificates to Skills
A university or polytechnic certificate remains important, but today’s students are entering a labour market where additional skills increasingly matter.
Technology, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, technical education, vocational training and digital literacy are becoming increasingly important parts of the conversation about youth development.
Hamzat has publicly emphasized education and skills acquisition as important elements of youth development, while his public engagements have also included technology and innovation.
This is particularly relevant to students in institutions with strong technical and professional programmes.
A student should not graduate merely holding a certificate. The broader objective should be to graduate with the ability to create value, solve problems, compete and contribute meaningfully to society.
Technology and the Future of Learning
Artificial intelligence is already changing how students learn, how lecturers teach and how employers work.
That creates both opportunities and challenges.
A Lagos administration that wants to prepare its young population for the future will have to consider digital literacy, responsible use of artificial intelligence, technology infrastructure and access to modern learning tools.
Hamzat has publicly spoken about the need for education to respond to technological change and for technology to be used responsibly in education.
For students, this raises an important question:
How can Lagos move from simply consuming technology to becoming a state where young people use technology to create solutions, businesses and opportunities?
Infrastructure and the Student Experience
Education policy is also about infrastructure.
Government investment in tertiary education has included interventions involving institutions such as LASU, LASUSTECH and LASUED.
Such projects matter because the quality of a student’s educational experience is influenced by the environment in which learning takes place.
Students need functional lecture spaces, laboratories, libraries, technology infrastructure, reliable transportation and safe learning environments.
The 2027 conversation should therefore examine not only what candidates promise, but also what they propose to do about the practical conditions under which Lagos students learn.
Youth Participation in Governance
Students are also tomorrow’s professionals, entrepreneurs, civil servants, community leaders and political leaders.
That makes youth participation an important part of the conversation.
Young people should not be viewed merely as campaign crowds. They should be stakeholders whose ideas, concerns and experiences are considered when policies are designed.
For students, meaningful youth participation should include opportunities for leadership, entrepreneurship, innovation, policy engagement and civic responsibility.
What Should Students Be Looking At?
As the 2027 election approaches, Lagos students have several issues they can examine when assessing every candidate and every political platform:
– What is the candidate’s record on education?
– What plans exist for tertiary institutions?
– How will students gain access to modern technology and digital skills?
– What is the plan for technical and vocational education?
– How will young graduates transition from school into employment or entrepreneurship?
– What policies address student transportation and campus safety?
– How will research, innovation and entrepreneurship be supported?
– How will young people participate meaningfully in governance?
These questions should apply to every candidate, including Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat.
The Future We Want
The conversation around Lagos’ next governor should ultimately be about the kind of future we want to build.
For students, that future must include quality education, relevant skills, innovation, opportunity, safe transportation, meaningful youth participation and an economy capable of absorbing the talents being produced by our institutions.
Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat’s public emphasis on education, skills, technology and youth development provides issues for students to examine as they consider his vision for Lagos.
The decision, however, belongs to the students themselves. Every student should study the records, policies and programmes presented by all candidates and make an informed choice based on their own priorities.
The future of Lagos will be shaped in government offices—but also in classrooms, laboratories, workshops, lecture theatres, campuses and innovation spaces.
The students of Lagos are not simply observers of the state’s future. We are among the people who will live it, build it and lead it.