Mr. Kamardeen ‘Damilola Dawodu-Olowoshago was born to the prestigious family of Late Alhaji (Chief) Abdul-Hameed Arowolo Dawodu-Olowoshago (Arowolo bi Oyinbo) the Baba Adeen of Ikorodu and its environs (1972 – 1983) and Alhaja (Chief) Halimat –Ul-Shadiah Dawodu-Olowoshago (Nee Yusuf Mosenne) the first Olori Giwa – Giwa (Obinrin) of Ikorodu Central Mosque and Asiwaju Adinni of Aga Mosque, Ikorodu.
He had his Primary Education at All Saints Private Schools, Ikorodu from 1974 – 1979. Young Olowoshago sat for the Common Entrance Examination in 1979 and was the 3rd Best Student in the whole State. He thereafter proceeded to the Premier College in Ikorodu Division, Oriwu College, Ikorodu for his Secondary Education between 1980 and 1985. He attended Igbobi College, Lagos, for his Higher School Certificate (A Levels) between 1986 and 1988.
Having obtained the requisite qualification, Mr. Kamardeen Olowoshago gained admission in 1989 to Lagos State University for his B. A. combined Honours in English and Education majoring in English Language. Mr. Kamar Olowoshago was the best graduating Student among his class set having led the pack right from 1st Semester 100 Level through to 2nd Semester, 400 level winning the prize for Best Graduating Student (English) in 1993/94 Session. In his quest for further knowledge, Mr. Olowoshago returned to the University of Lagos and obtained a Master Degree in International Relations and Diplomacy (1997).
Mr. Kamardeen Olowoshago’s work career began in 1997 at the Lagos State Polytechnic Isolo, now Lagos State University of Science and Technology, Ikorodu as an Assistant Lecturer (Part Time) in Use of English and Communication Skills. He was the Pioneer Director of Studies of the School of Part-Time Studies, Ikorodu Annex. In 2000, he joined the Lagos State Public Service and had a very impressive Public Service Career.
A highly dedicated, loyal and resourceful person, Mr. Olowoshago has served in various capacities in different agencies and has made the following outstanding contributions to the Lagos State Public Service.
» Secretary to the Committee on the review of Training Procedures and Regulations in Lagos State (2002).
» Member of Local Organizing Committee for the 27th National Council on Establishments in Lagos State (2002).
» Secretary to the Committee on the Review of Training Allowances/Grants in Lagos State (2003).
» Member of the Secretariat of the Retreat between the Executive Council Members and the Body of Permanent Secretaries in Lagos State (2004).
» Member, Organizing Committee/Head, logistics of the Joint Retreat between EXCO members and Permanent Secretaries in Lagos State at VIP Chalet, Badagry (2005).
» Member of the Secretariat, State Committee for the Collation of 2006 Census Figures for Lagos State.
» Member of the Secretariat of the Ad hoc Committee on the Monitoring of the 2007 Elections.
» Rapporteur for the Retreat of Newly Elected Executive Council members in Lagos State (2007).
» Member Rapporteur Team for the retreat between Executive Council Members and Body of Permanent Secretaries in Lagos State (2008).
» Pioneer Head of Unit, Post Service Unit, Public Service Office (2008)
» Member Rapporteur Team for the 1st and 2nd Quarter Retreats between Executive Council Members and Body of Permanent Secretaries in Lagos State (2009).
» Initiated insurance cover for officers and men of Security Outfits deployed to work with the State Government in the special Services Department (Governor’ s Office) (2012)
» Supervised the construction and hand over of Area C Police Command Surulere (2013)
» Supervised the construction and hand over of the following police stations:
§ Orile Police Station, Apapa/Iganmu LCDA (2013)
§ Ladegboye Police Station, Ikorodu North LCDDA (2014)
§ Imowo-Nla Police Station, Ikorodu North LCDA (2014)
§ Isheri Police Station, Ojodu LCDA (2014)
» Appointed as Principal Staff Officer to the Chief of Staff (PSO-COS) to the Governor (2015)
» Instrumental to the automation of the process of circulating His Excellency’s manifest from hard-copy (Pick-Up) to on-line, real time broadcast. (2015)
» Supervised the construction and remodeling of Lagos State Government VIP Chalet, Epe to Jubilee Chalets Epe (2017).
» Changed the fuel supply and distribution chain process in the Office of Chief of Staff through the creation of a programme of efficiency. This resulted in not only saving huge revenue for the state but reduced also the turn around time at the dump from the then 25 to 30 minutes to between 1 and 3 minutes. (2017).
» Oversaw the implementation and transition of the Alausa Fuel dump as a subsidiary of Ibile Oil and Gas Company (2020).
» Member of the strategic committee that produced the Covid-19 Protocols and Guidelines for the re-opening of Religious Worship Centers as approved and used by the State Government (2020).
» Team lead, Monitoring Compliance and Enforcement Committee, the committee that ensured compliance of the Protocols on COVID 19 by Religious Worship Centers in Lagos State. (2020).
In 2005, Mr. Kamardeen Olowoshago was voted the Best Officer in the Ministry of Establishments, and Training, and in 2006 he won the State Government Best Officer Award with a Commendation Letter personally signed by the Former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his
“High Sense of Responsibility and Dedication to Duty,
Exemplary Conduct and High Productivity which has
contributed to the success of Lagos State Civil Service.”
In 2008, Mr. Kamardeen Olowoshago was appointed by the former Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) as a member of the ‘Project Wheel Team’ a group of select Civil Servants that worked with the World renowned Messrs. Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) under the Chairmanship of the then Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions and now our Governor of Lagos State Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwolu, that fashioned out a strategic Management framework being deployed by the State in Managing the Public Service of Lagos State.
He was also selected by a former Head of Service, Mr. Adesegun Ogunlewe to work with DFID, an International Agency on the State Partnership for Accountability Responsiveness and Capability (SPARC) that fashioned out a Public Service Management (PSM) framework for the State Public Service in 2010.
A Cheerful, accessible, generous and easy going person, Mr. Kamardeen Olowoshago is a member of various professional bodies and other organizations.
He is a Fellow of Chartered Institute of Management (NIM), a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Training and Development (NITAD), and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Administrators of Nigeria (CIPAN). He is also
· Former Co-ordinator – Lagos State University Alumni Association, Ikorodu Division
· He is the Pioneer President, Ikorodu Progressive Group;
· Former Secretary, Lagos State Public Service Forum, Ikorodu Division;
· Former Secretary, Oriwu College Old Students Association (85 Class Set);
· Former Vice President, Nigerian Institute of Training and Development (NITAD), Lagos State Chapter.
Mr. Olowoshago has served the Lagos State Public Service diligently in various capacities and positions in different Ministries and Agencies including the Ministry of Establishments, Training and Pensions, Office of the Head of Service, Public Service Office, Governor’s Office, Office of the Chief of Staff, Ministry of Home Affairs as the Director (Home Affairs) before his appointment as the Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Public Service and deployed to the Ministry of Transportation where he served between February, 2001 and September, 2022. He is currently the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Housing.
Mr. Olowoshago Kamar Owodiran is happily married with children.
