Esther Etiyemonu Becomes Lagos State One-Day Governor
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Summary: Esther Etiyemonu, a 14-year-old Senior Secondary School student from Lagos State Senior Model College, became the One-Day Governor of Lagos State on Monday, February 16, 2026. She earned this title through her triumph as the overall winner of the 21st edition of the Lagos State Spelling Bee Competition.
Esther Etiyemonu, a 14-year-old Senior Secondary School student of Lagos State Senior Model College, Igbookuta, Imota, Ikorodu Division, on Monday, February 16, 2026, became the One-Day Governor of Lagos State. She earned this title by winning the overall title of the 2025/2026 Spelling Bee Competition organised for eligible public secondary schools in Lagos State.
The One-Day Governor is an initiative pioneered by the current Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, when she was the First Lady of Lagos State in 2001. It aims to instil academic excellence in students and provide them with firsthand exposure to leadership and governance. The competition is held annually across public secondary schools in the State. The recent one, in which Esther emerged as the winner, was the 21st edition.
Esther, alongside her two-member ‘cabinet’ comprising the One-Day Deputy Governor, Miss Dorcas Awoyemi of Ikosi Senior High School, and the One-Day Secretary to the State Government, Miss Salami Jumain, Olaide of Angus Memorial Senior High School, Yaba, parents and teachers, were received by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the State House, Marina.
In the video shared on the X handle, Governor Sanwo-Olu temporarily vacated his seat for Esther as she began her tenure as the symbolic One-Day Governor. She presided over a brief State Executive Council meeting, and the team also visited the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education in Alausa to gain firsthand insight into public service.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu praised Esther’s performance as a reflection of improved academic standards in state-owned schools.
“You are a testament to the quality of education we are providing in our public schools. You embody excellence and the calibre of students emerging from our public institutions,” the governor said.
