- ECI 2025 Convention: Bashorun Randle Urges Eko Club to Uphold Lagos Values Amid Global Change
- Randle reflected on Lagos’s educational and social history
- The Lagos elder stressed that beyond economics and policy, true progress is best measured by “common sense”
Renowned Lagos statesman and elder, Bashorun J.K. Randle, has praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for their leadership and contributions to the development of Nigeria and Lagos, respectively, Eko Hot Blog reports.
Delivering a brief goodwill message at the 2025 Eko Club International Convention and 25th anniversary celebration in the United States, Randle, who disclosed that he would soon turn 82, aligned himself with the commendations showered on the president, recalling his recent engagement with Tinubu as part of a delegation of King’s College Old Boys.
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“A few weeks ago, we appealed to him, and he graciously agreed to hand over King’s College to its Old Boys. For that, he deserves commendation,” Randle said.
He also lauded Governor Sanwo-Olu’s achievements, noting that his leadership was not surprising given his deep family roots in Lagos Island.
“Like me, he comes from Okepopo. I knew his grandfather, I knew his father, and I believe we are related through the Martins family line,” he remarked.
Randle reflected on Lagos’s educational and social history, reminding the audience that until 1960, American university degrees were not recognized in Nigeria.
He also recounted his experience as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Lagos State University (LASU) Governing Council, where he once urged students to shun corruption, only to be challenged by a student who argued that his generation had already “enjoyed corruption.”
The Lagos elder stressed that beyond economics and policy, true progress is best measured by “common sense” and by the lived experiences of ordinary Lagosians.
“As professionals, we apply economic theory and history, but the most important measure is common sense. In Okepopo where I grew up, the real barometer of economic progress was the woman selling wosi-wosi on every corner,” he said, humorously adding that if forced to choose between artificial intelligence (AI) and wosi-wosi, he would “vote for wosi-wosi.”
Randle concluded his remarks by urging the audience to continue cherishing Lagos’s unique heritage while embracing innovation and development in balance with cultural identity.
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