Some journeys in public service are shaped by a single decision, and for Abiodun Oluwaseun Laurel, popularly known as Laurel, that moment came during the 2018 campaign season.

As a student leader at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Laurel reportedly played a key role in allowing Seyi Makinde (GSM) to access the campus and campaign for his governorship bid, despite efforts by the university authorities at the time to prevent the candidate from entering the campus.

The decision came at a cost. Laurel was reportedly suspended by the university authorities over the incident. However, the suspension was later reconsidered.

Fate would later give the story an unexpected turn.

Makinde won the governorship election and became Governor of Oyo State. During a subsequent congratulatory visit by the then Vice-Chancellor of LAUTECH, Makinde reportedly asked about the student leader who had helped facilitate his entry into the campus during the campaign.

That encounter opened a new chapter in Laurel’s journey. He subsequently received his first appointment in the Oyo State Government, beginning a transition from student leadership to public service.

From SUG President, to Special Assistant on Project Delivery, then Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Project Delivery, Laurel has continued to rise through the ranks. Among 36 officers of the End User Certificate in Nigeria, he was appointed by the Governor as the End User Certificate Officer for Oyo State.

Now, with his appointment as Chairman of the Oyo State Project Performance Monitoring Agency (OYSPPMA), Laurel’s journey has come full circle in a remarkable way—from a student leader who took a stand during a political campaign to a government official entrusted with monitoring the delivery of public projects.

PRESS SPOTLIGHT: Sometimes, a decision made in one moment can become the beginning of a journey that lasts a lifetime.