In just two years, Governor Babajide Sanwoolu has taken governance to a whole new level; this is not mere hearsay or an exaggerated statement to give him an edge over past governors or future governors.
This is a statement made out of facts. How did he successfully touch every sector within such a short time frame intentionally involving both young and old, while consistently encouraging women’s intervention in politics and growth? How do you campaign against someone that has raised the bar so high? What are the parameters you will campaign with?
If any state was badly hit by Covid-19 and the aftermath of #EndSARS like Lagos, I can bet it would take them years to recover. Sanwo-olu did excellently well in managing the crisis without losing focus on delivering excellent results for Lagos. There is something in that water they drink at Bourdillon school of leadership. From Tinubu’s properly navigating the state from the dark days of military administration to laying the master plan and foundation for Fashola who took it further by shattering the leadership ceiling in his unique style. How can we forget how he got global laurels on how he properly guided Lagos and Lagosians from that dark era of the Ebola virus? (God bless the souls of Adadevoh and other patriots who gave their lives). On to Sanwo-olu who was the nation’s golden boy for his effective management of coronavirus, he handled the crisis expertly even when the world was predicting doom and gloom due to the large population of Lagos state.
Many feared and anyone could have imagined a sporadic spread of the covid 19 virus mainly because apart from the over 20 million residents the state, more than ten thousand people come in and out of Lagos state every day. We must not malign the fact that several people in the diaspora had entered the country even before countermeasures were put in place. Countries that had access to great medical facilities and equipment recorded a higher number of casualties and death rates and this became a reason to panic but Governor Sanwo-Olu did well by actively controlling the spread and also ensuring that those who had the virus were well attended to. As a result, the total number of deaths recorded was nothing compared to that of foreign countries. Through this singular act, Nigeria became the fourth best country in the world that effectively and impressively curbed the spread of covid 19 Virus according to the World Health Organization.
This great man has successfully impacted every sector of the state. Talk of the agricultural sector, the Educational sector, transportation (rail, road, water), infrastructural development, Job and wealth creation in form of grants to business owners, monthly payments to 4,000 unemployed youth, top-notch health care programs and facilities, 24-hour helpline for security and fire emergencies, cleaner environment as well as active involvement in the sports sector.
It would interest you to know that most of these projects were funded through internally generated revenue (IGR) which is majorly sourced from taxes. According to the National Bureau of Statistics report at the state level for the half year 2021, Lagos state has the highest internally generated revenue in the country with the country’s capital following loosely behind. In 2021, Lagos state tops the chart as it generates 267,232,774,434.06 billion Naira in the first half of the year.
In the agricultural sector, governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu introduced the Agricultural value chain
enterprise Activation program with a major aim of proper sensitization of men and women of different age groups on the economic benefits of agriculture. Through this program, over 12,000 women and thousands of youths were trained in various agricultural practices which have positively impacted the lives of many youths thereby giving them a means of sustenance and livelihood.
In addition to this, Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu’s administration has made it a continuous act to ensure that both employed and unemployed women as well youths become self-dependent and employers of labour. This singular act drastically reduced the unemployment rate and also decreased the rate of insecurity in the state.
You will agree with me that an administration that does not make a positive impact on the educational sector of its state can be said to have failed in its service to humanity as education is of paramount importance to the country as a whole and this cuts across every level of education, from pre-nursery to the university level. This great man has however transformed the state education policy which is why Lagos state’s education policy is second to none in the country to date. Babajide Sanwo-olu began the turn-around in this sector by successfully increasing the 2020 budgetary allocation by 65 percent and giving his full support to programs like the Eko-Excel initiative- Excellence in Child Education and learning tagged “Leave No Child Behind”. This administration constructed and upgraded facilities in the entire health sector and has in the last 12 months donated over 80,000 chairs and tables to public schools in the state with more constructions still ongoing for further delivery across the state and won’t stop until every school is touched.
In addition to this, the governor approved for employment into the state’s workforce 2,000 teachers for primary and 1,000 for the secondary arm. After employment, the teachers went through proper training and orientation to ensure that they perform their various duties efficiently and effectively once work begins. Also, Grading instruments were instituted to increase the evaluation standard of schools and also improve the Education Quality Assurance Unit. He further gave out car refurbishment loans of 7.8 million Naira to school teachers, housing loans of 3 million Naira as well as the construction of teacher’s quarters within the school premises to encourage the teachers.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, electronic learning and teaching platforms were created and students were taught through television, radio and internet media. This program was supported by First bank, MTN and Edfin Microfinance bank. The Eko-Excel program has achieved numerous goals over the years through investment in technology and arts, training and induction of teachers, reviewing and optimizing the curriculum, organizing and instituting good governance and administration, improving the capacity and welfare of students and school personnel and many more.
Undisputedly, Governor Sanwo-Olu has made a major landmark in the world of creatives in the last four years. His inclusive approach in continually supporting creatives in and around Lagos has put him miles ahead of his contemporaries. Through the Ministry of Arts, Tourism, and Culture, Sanwo-Olu has embarked on major capacity building by collaborating with the private sector and leading industry giants with proven record. Through his support, over 3000 youths have been trained and empowered to contribute to the creative sector under partnerships with the Africa Film Academy and EbonyLife.
In the same vein, Governor Sanwo-Olu has released over N1 billion to support the creative sector in Lagos state aside from leading guests to 2022 Headies in Atlanta and hosting the Africa Movie Academy Awards on October 30.
Another sector that Babajide Sanwo-olu has greatly touched is the transportation sector which includes all the major means of transportation in the country and the world at large. These include transportation via road, water and railways. This project began through the integrated mass transportation initiative which saw to the successful completion of the elevated seas crossing track of blue line mass transit project and the recruitment of 1,017 LASTMA officers to ease traffic congestion. There would be a great imbalance to talk about the transportation sector by emphasizing the infrastructures and roads built to further improve transportation in the state because, how can one improve means of transportation, drastically minimize the rate at which accidents occur and limit unnecessary traffic congestions with bad roads.
Over 51 major infrastructural projects have been constructed over in just two years. These projects include the Pen Cinema fly-over, Lagos-Ogun Boundary roads, ramp and road networks, phase II, Lekki Oniru traffic circulation projects, network of roads in Ikoyi, Somolu, Ojokoro, constructed rehabilitation of 301 inner roads in the 20 Local government areas and 37 Local Council Development areas, the Oshodi-Abike Egba BRT lane, the Eleko junction to Epe concrete pavement and many more.
Have you seen the railway tracks and sophisticated trains in Lagos recently? If not, then you should take out time and take a ride on one of these machines. Blue line stations have been built at Festac, Alakija, Trade fair, Volkswagen, LASU, Okokomaiko, Mile 2, Alaba, Iganmu, National Theater, with a possible extension to Agbara in Ogun state and about seven stations concurrently being built. This will redefine mass transportation in Lagos state.
This great humanitarian has continued to take the needs of people as paramount. Whilst ensuring that they have a conducive and healthy environment by donating 30 units of 12- cubic meter trucks, 60 units of 24-cubic meter trucks and 12 hook loaders to compliment the already existing 850 and more PSP compactor trucks to enhance efficient service delivery in all communities across the state, He has also continued to reach out to people with various incentives to help boost their standard of living. This he has done through payment of N40,000 monthly allowances to 4000 unemployed graduates as well as some direct gratifications to widows.
Business owners are however not left out as grants and MSMEs support fund are been made available to provide financial support and assistance to their various businesses.
Without any form of doubt, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has successfully made Lagos a modern Mega City surrounded by 21st century infrastructural and social amenities massively touching Traffic management and transportation, Education and Technology, as well as Health and Environment sectors of the state within his first term. These achievements are quite impressive and a performance worthy of emulation by every other governors.