Civic leader. Strategist. Author.
Olalekan Biliamin Oba works where public service, youth leadership and institution building meet. Most people call him Lekan.
Ikorodu first.
Olalekan was born in Ikorodu, Lagos State, on 27 October 1987. His schooling began in Kaduna, at Umar Bin Al-Khattab for primary education.
He came back to Lagos for Oriwu Model College in Ikorodu, then went on to Moshood Abiola Polytechnic and Lagos State University, where he studied Mass Communication.
A way of building bridges.
Mass Communication gave him more than a degree. It gave him a way of working.
He uses it to carry ideas between institutions, communities, young people and public leaders, and to put people in the same room who would not otherwise meet.
Lasting impact is built, not announced.
Programmes end. Platforms and institutions carry on. He judges work by what is still standing years later.
Mentorship moves generations.
Knowledge, values and opportunity have to be handed on on purpose. That is how one person’s first rung becomes someone else’s.
Institutions outlive individuals.
Strong organisations make impact bigger than any one tenure. He puts his time into the structures behind the work.
Six areas of focus.
Public Service & Social Development
Designing and supporting interventions that respond to social needs and widen opportunity.
Youth Development & Leadership
Building platforms where young people can lead, govern and shape their communities.
Strategic Communications
Using communication for public engagement, advocacy and institutional positioning.
Civic Engagement
Creating ways for citizens, especially young people, to take part in public affairs.
Campaign Strategy & Mobilisation
Grassroots mobilisation, stakeholder engagement and digital communication.
Institution Building
Strengthening organisations so their impact outlasts any one person.
Making room for the next person.
A good part of his work is building routes for young people to develop leadership skills, find mentors and take part in public life.
He has been involved in mentorship programmes, youth leadership initiatives and platforms that connect emerging leaders with experienced public figures and professionals.
At a glance.
- Full name
- Olalekan Biliamin Oba (Lekan Oba)
- Current role
- Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Lagos State on Social Development
- Born
- 27 October 1987, Ikorodu, Lagos State, Nigeria
- Education
- Oriwu Model College, Ikorodu; Moshood Abiola Polytechnic; Lagos State University (Mass Communication)
- Youth leadership
- State Chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter, 2020 to 2024
- Also served as
- State Chairman, Yoruba Youth Council; Coordinator, NYCN Ikorodu Local Branch
- Convener
- Forward Lagos, a civic movement for Lagosians (forwardlagos.com)
- Author
- One Rung at a Time: Echoes from the Ladder of Becoming (2026)
- International
- Commonwealth programme, Oxford University; New Kind of Leadership, Barcelona
- Based in
- Lagos, Nigeria
People often ask.
Who is Olalekan Biliamin Oba?
Olalekan Biliamin Oba, known as Lekan Oba, is a Nigerian civic leader, strategist, youth development advocate and author from Ikorodu, Lagos. He serves as Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Lagos State on Social Development, and chaired the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter, from 2020 to 2024.
What is his current role?
He is Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Lagos State on Social Development. The role covers social interventions, inclusion, civic participation and programmes that widen opportunity for people across the state.
What is Changing the Narratives?
Changing the Narratives was the agenda he led as NYCN Lagos State Chairman. It focused on repositioning youth leadership, strengthening the Council as an institution and opening more places for young people in governance and development.
What has he worked on?
His work includes drug abuse preventive advocacy, police and youth dialogue, mental health stigma awareness, social relief, mentorship programmes and Forward Lagos, a civic movement he convenes that gives Lagosians structured ways to take part in shaping their city.
What book has he written?
He is the author of One Rung at a Time: Echoes from the Ladder of Becoming, a leadership and personal-development book in eighteen chapters. It was launched on 5 November 2026 in Lagos.
How can I invite him to speak?
Use the contact page or email obalekan2@gmail.com. He speaks on youth and civic participation, leadership, mentorship, institution building and communication for impact.
It is not about reaching the top alone. It is about building enough rungs for others to climb.