Jubreel Ayodeji Abdulkareem, a member of the All Progressive Congress, is the lawmaker representing Agege Constituency 2 in the Lagos State House of Assembly.
He was first elected as a member of the House in 2023.
Before becoming a lawmaker, he was a local government chairman in Agege.
Early life and education
Mr. Abdulkareem was born in the 1960s. His mother, Alhaja Toyibat Kareem is a popular businesswoman in Agege main market. She is also known as Iya Gambi Alawo.
He completed his primary education at Bishop Oluwole Memorial Primary School and secondary education at Arabic and Islamic institute both located in Agege, Lagos.
In 2008, Mr. Abdulkareem earned his bachelor’s degree in cooperatives and business management from Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye. In 2014, he earned a masters degree in public administration from Lagos State University.
Mr. Abdulkareem worked as a teacher at Oke-Ira Grammar School and Agidingbi Grammar School, Ikeja teaching Arabic and Islamic studies from 1984 to 1990. Then he worked briefly as a sales representative and later manager in Draco Nigeria Limited between 1990 and 1991.
In 1991, he ventured into entrepreneurship, running his own business. He was the chairman and executive director of J.A Kareem Nig. Enterprises Limited till 2000.
Political career
In 1998, Mr. Abdulkareem embarked on his political journey to contest the House of Representatives seat for Agege Federal Constituency. However, he withdrew his candidacy in line with the wishes of the leaders of his party, the Alliance for Democracy (AD).
In 2000, Mr. Abdulkareem was appointed as the health and environmental services supervisor for Agege local government. In October 2003, he was appointed as the deputy executive secretary of the same local government by then Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He was also assigned the role of works and housing supervisor.
In March 2004, he was elected as the vice chairman of Agege local government. In addition to his role as vice chairman, he also worked as the education supervisor. He served in both capacities until March 2007.
In 2008, he was elected as the executive chairman of the Agege local government under the Action Congress party. In 2011, he was re-elected as the executive chairman for a second term under the Action Congress of Nigeria party.
During his tenure as executive chairman, he was said to have facilitated the construction and rehabilitation of roads, health centres, schools, and also the installation of boreholes across all wards.
He has been recognised as the longest-serving elected chairman of Agege Local Government since its inception. His achievements were recognised by the Nigerian Senate, earning him the 2009 award for the best chairman who delivered the dividends of democracy to the people of Lagos State.
In 2018, Mr. Abdulkareem was arrested over alleged complicity in the death of Nurudeen Olonose, a member of the APC.
In 2019, he contested the Lagos State House of Assembly seat for Agege Constituency 1 under the Accord Party. However, he withdrew from the race less than 24 hours to the elections, urging his supporters to vote for the APC candidate.
“Today I yielded to pressures from notable quarters to drop my ambition of contesting for the Lagos State House of Assembly elections in Agege Constituency 01 under the platform of Accord Party,” he said.
Legislative work
Youth empowerment was prioritized through the sponsorship of sporting activities, provision of GCE forms, and bursaries for underprivileged students. Women also benefited from poverty alleviation programs.
Mr. Abdulkareem is a member of the House committee on public accounts.
In December 2023, the committee paid a visit to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) headquarters in Alausa. They commended the commander and his team for their efforts in protecting lives and property in the state.
In March 2024, as part of efforts by the Lagos state government to ensure strict safety and cleanliness of the Agege railway station, Mr. Abdulkareem urged the Hausa community to adhere to the government’s sanitation directives in the train station area.