Managing people in public institutions is a skill that makes or breaks governments. Policies may be smart, but without the right leadership and management, they rarely succeed. Few people understand this as deeply as Hakeem Onasanya, whose career blends healthcare, public policy, and development work, all focused on one core principle: making people and systems work together effectively.
At Miva Open University, students in MPA 8105: Public Personnel Management are getting the chance to learn from someone who has lived this principle in every role he has held.
In This Post
From Dentistry to Public Leadership
Hakeem’s journey started far from the boardrooms of foundations and public offices. He trained as a dentist at the University of Lagos, where he learned precision, patience, and how systems impact people’s access to care. Early exposure to healthcare policy sparked his curiosity about how institutions function—and what happens when they fail.
His desire to understand the broader picture led him to the University of Oxford, where he earned a Master of Public Policy and further executive programmes at Harvard University, Henley Business School, and the Chartered Insurance Institute. Each step added a new lens: strategy, leadership, governance, and risk management—all tools to help organisations and teams operate more effectively. Education, for Hakeem, was never just a credential—it was a toolkit for real-world impact.
A Career in Making Systems Work
For Hakeem Onasanya, his career journey is a story of deliberate growth, cross-sector expertise, and a consistent focus on empowering people and institutions.
He began in healthcare at Reliance Health, where he managed nationwide provider networks and developed frameworks to enhance operational efficiency and performance. These early roles gave him practical insight into how systems and people work together to deliver results.
Hakeem’s interest in policy and governance led him to ODI Global in London, where he worked as a graduate researcher on equity and social policy. He contributed to developing a policy guide on health insurance, linking national insurance systems to poverty eradication—an experience that broadened his understanding of public sector challenges and the design of impactful programmes.
Back in Nigeria, he joined the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), taking on leadership roles that spanned entrepreneurship, tech talent development, and public policy. As Head of Startups at Lagos Innovates, he led initiatives supporting over 150 startups, incubating female founders, and training thousands of young tech talents. In his role as Special Adviser on Impact & Policy, he designed programmes to boost entrepreneurship, digital literacy, and business resilience, helping save tens of thousands of jobs and earning the LSETF Chairman’s Award for outstanding performance.
Hakeem also contributed to civic engagement through Junior Chamber International, Eko (JCI Eko), where he served as Director for Skills Development and Director of Policy & Government Relations. He bridged the gap between the association and government agencies, ensuring programmes aligned with public sector priorities and created meaningful impact for young leaders.
Currently, Hakeem serves as Director of Operations at The Tony Elumelu Foundation, where he oversees pan-African entrepreneurship programmes, mentorship networks, technology platforms, and governance systems. His leadership ensures the foundation’s initiatives run efficiently and innovatively, creating opportunities for thousands of entrepreneurs across Africa.
Alongside his operational and policy work, Hakeem bridges theory and practice as Executive in Residence at Miva Open University, teaching Public Personnel Management for MPA candidates. He translates complex human capital and management concepts into actionable strategies, preparing future public sector leaders to navigate real-world challenges with confidence.
Across every stage of his career, Hakeem Onasanya has demonstrated a unique ability to integrate operational excellence, strategic insight, and people-focused leadership—qualities that define both his professional impact and the mentorship he brings to students.
The Human Side of Leadership
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Hakeem is deeply committed to mentorship, youth empowerment, and leadership development. His career, from healthcare to public policy to pan-African development, reflects adaptability, curiosity, and a dedication to creating impact wherever he works. He approaches every challenge with resilience and a focus on results, showing students that leadership is as much about people as it is about processes.
Bringing Real-World Experience into the Classroom
At Miva Open University, Hakeem serves as Executive in Residence for MPA 8105: Public Personnel Management. He bridges the gap between theory and practice, helping students understand not just the “what” of public personnel management, but the “how” and “why”.
Through live sessions and case studies, he translates complex human capital concepts into actionable strategies. Students learn how public institutions really function, how leadership decisions affect teams, and how to drive performance and reform.
Why Students Should Learn from Hakeem Onasanya
For anyone aspiring to a career in public service, governance, or policy, understanding people is as important as understanding processes. Learning from Hakeem Onasanya equips students with practical insight into:
- Leading and managing teams in public organisations
- Translating policy into actionable results
- Driving institutional performance and reform
- Bridging strategy and execution
This is the kind of knowledge that gives students an edge, not just in exams, but in their careers.
The Takeaway
Public administration often sounds technical: policies, frameworks, structures. But strip all that away, and one thing remains: people.
Learning Public Personnel Management with Hakeem Onasanya is a chance to understand that reality from someone who has built a career making it happen: first in healthcare, then in public policy, and now at the forefront of entrepreneurship development across Africa.
Apply to the MPA programme at Miva Open University so that you can learn, practically, how to lead people management in the public sector.