Lagos Awards 4 Govt Contracts to Perm Sec’s Assistant, Those in Charge Can’t Explain

Astute Brainchild Limited, a company owned by a man who has worked with the Lagos State Government for over four years, got four contracts worth N18.4 million from the Lagos State Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology.

FIJ found that Astute Brainchild Limited, owned by John-Paul Adekunle, the executive assistant to the then permanent secretary of the same Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, got the contracts on December 3, 2025, according to the award register published by the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency.

This raises conflict of interest concerns as the state’s procurement law places responsibility for procurement compliance on the permanent secretary who has the overall responsibility for the planning and execution of procurement.

Ibilola Kasunmu, who was the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology when the contracts were doled out to Astute Brainchild Limited, told FIJ that she did not know about the contracts and the company.

John-Paul Adekunle who is the beneficial owner of Astute Brainchild Limited, according to the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria, appears to have followed Kasunmu to the ministry from the Lagos State Residents’ Registration Agency where she was the general manager until her appointment as permanent secretary in 2022.

Adekunle’s LinkedIn profile indicates that he was an executive assistant and operational data manager at the Lagos State Residents’ Registration Agency until 2022 when he became the executive assistant to the permanent secretary and project manager at the Lagos State Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology.

It is unclear if Adekunle has been working at the Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology after Kasunmu was redeployed to another ministry in April. He did not respond to multiple inquiries.

The Lagos State Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology is headed by Olatunbosun Alake, son of the current Nigeria’s minister of Solid Minerals Development. The commissioner did not comment on how the contracts were awarded after requesting that questions be texted to him.

The first contract, worth N3,499,500, was for the replacement and maintenance of ICT accessories and tools at the ministry.

The second, valued at N3.6 million, covered administrative and facilitation resources and gardening at the Science Experience Centre.

The ministry also awarded the company N5.625 million for operational laptops, a power backup system and repairs to the cooling system for Science Experience Centres activities.

The fourth contract, worth N5.7 million, was for science educational equipment, safety equipment and furniture for the reception at the Science Experience Centre.

The four contracts totalled N18,424,500 with a duration of two weeks for each project.

RESPONSES FROM THE GOVERNMENT

Responding to an email FIJ sent on October 27, John-Paul Adekunle said that Astute Brainchild Limited got the contracts ” in accordance with the Lagos State Government’s public procurement procedures”.

FIJ asked Adekunle if he disclosed his ownership or interest in the company, but he did not answer that part of the email. He also did not confirm if he was involved, whether directly or indirectly, in identifying the projects. FIJ asked if he submitted bids for the contract. That part also went unanswered.

FIJ emailed similar questions to the Public Affairs Desk of the Lagos State Government on Monday but the respondent failed to address them. Instead, they said that Adekunle was never a staff of the government.

When FIJ called then-permanent secretary of the ministry Ibilola Kasunmu on October 27, she said that she knew who Adekunle was but knew nothing about the company or contracts. She promised to get back to FIJ but never did, despite a follow-up text message.

FIJ also called Commissioner Olatunbosun Alake on October 27, but he asked our reporter to send him a text, which was sent after the call. Responding, he asked our reporter to contact the public affairs desk.

Source: fij.ng