Mojisola Meranda has been sworn in as the first female Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly.

Meranda took her oath of office as the new Speaker of the House on Monday at a plenary session, following the impeachment of Mudashiru Obasa.

Meranda, a lawmaker representing the Apapa 1 state seat in the assembly, was first elected to the House in 2015. She was reelected in 2019 and 2023.

She had already served the Apapa local government in various roles before being elected to the assembly as a politician. She has also worked in the private sector.

Here are thirteen (13) things you probably don’t know about the new Lagos Speaker, Mojisola Meranda:

Meranda was born on August 16, 1980, to the late Chief T. A. Lawal Akapo (Ojora of Lagos) and Princess M. A. Lawal-Akapo, from the royal families of Ojora, Aromire, Onitana, Oloto, and Oniru.

Before her late father became the Ojora of Lagos, he served as a local legislator. Her mother is from the well-known Oniru family in Lagos. Her brother is Oba AbdulWasiu Omogbolahan Lawal, the Oniru of Iru country.

Mrs. Meranda started her elementary education at St. Charles Nursery and elementary School before going to Randle Primary School on Randle Avenue in Surulere from 1986 to 1992.

She attended Lagos Anglican Girls Grammar School (1992-1996) and Ansar-Ud-Deen Secondary School (1996-1998), both in Surulere, where she served as library prefect and press club secretary.

She earned the West African School Certificate (WASC) in 1998, according to her official House profile.

Mrs Meranda graduated from high school and earned an advanced certificate in software development in 2005.

She is also listed as having attended Lagos State University and earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration in 2013.

In 2018, she returned to school and enrolled at the University of Lagos.

She started working as a personal assistant to Dr. Olumuyiwa Gbadegesin, a senior special assistant on technology and special projects to Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in 2003, when she was 23.

Mrs Meranda worked as a procurement manager in the oil and gas industry for Cirrus Nigeria Limited from 2007 to 2008.

She returned to politics in 2008, first as a senior special assistant on intervention and intergovernmental issues to the then-Chairman, Ayodeji Joseph, and then as a supervisory councilor for health.

She began working as the chief of operations for Worthline International Services Limited in 2014.

Mrs Meranda served as a director of Worthline when it was first registered in 2012. Then in 2015, she was elected to the House.