Mrs Folashade Sherifat Jaji

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Mrs Folashade Sherifat Jaji is the new Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Lagos State. She replaces Mr. Tunji Bello. She was appointed on Thursday by Governor, Babjide Sanwo-Olu.

Jaji was born on March 3, 1957 in Surulere, a metropolitan city of Lagos State, Southwestern Nigeria. She attended Anglican Girls Primary School in Surulere, Lagos before she proceeded to Queen’s College in Yaba, where she obtained the West Africa School Certificate in 1974.

She received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Ibadan, where she was trained as a chemist before she enrolled for a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Administration at Administrative Staff College of Nigeria after she completed the compulsory one year Youth Service at the Nigerian Breweries. Having completed the diploma program in 1985, she proceeded to the University of Lagos where she received a Master of Business Administration’s degree in 1989.

She joined the Lagos State Civil Service on October 27, 1980 at the state Judicial Service Commission before she was deployed to the state Governor’s Office, Department of Political Affairs where she served for two years, between 1980 and 1982, the same year she got a transfer to the state civil service commission where she spent another 2 years before she returned to the Military Governor’s Office at the Department of Programs and Budget where she spent seven years, between 1985 and 1992.

On November 2008, she was appointed Permanent Secretary, Teachers’ Establishment and Pensions Office, a position she held for 4 years. On March 1, 2011 she became the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Establishments, Training and Pensions. On February 17, 2015, she was appointed as Lagos State Head of Service to succeed Josephine Oluseyi Williams, who was the 17th Head of Service of the State Public Service.

She retired as Head of Service on March 3, 2017.