By Segun Ajayi
Not once, twice but thrice within a year Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu had been decorated and his cap adorned with garlands for good works. The latest was at the Eko Hotels recently where the Lagos helmsman emerged Governor-of-the-Year at theprestigious Silverbird Man of the Year 2025 awards.
The honour came shortly after Sanwo-Olu clinched the “Governor of the Year” and “Game Changer” awards during the 30th anniversary of ThisDay newspaper and 12th anniversary of Arise News in Januarythis year, also in Lagos. The awards spree started last September with the coveted Leadership Excellence Awards in Abuja during which he was voted “Governor of the Year”.
The awards, which came in quick succession, wouldn’t have been accidental. They were results of credible appraisals by reputable individuals and organisations, who recognised the awardee’s exceptional leadership qualities and impacts in governance, infrastructure development, and public service.
In his reaction to the latest recognition, Sanwo-Olu thanked organisers of the Silverbird awards and promised to work harder and better for Lagosians more than ever before. An elated Sanwo-Olu however paid tribute to ‘hardworking and resilient people of Lagos State who have supported our vision and initiatives’, adding, ‘your unwavering belief is what fuels our commitment to excellence’.
He then pledged that good governance remains at the forefront of his administration and promised Lagosians democracy dividends they truly deserve. ‘Together, we have made significant strides; let us continue to work hand-in-hand to create a brighter future for every Lagosian’, the governor said.
Stakeholders in the acquatic state would agree with the award jury that Sanwo-Olu’s choice was incontestable going by his track records. His enviable scorecard is predicated on deliverables from the state’s developmental pillars which acronym is THEMES+. “T”for Transportation; “H” for Health, “E” for Education and “M” represents Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy and “E”, Entertainment and Tourism and “S” for Security and Governance. The + was not an afterthought as many might perceive it but an extension of the all-inclusive proclivity of the Sanwo-Olu-led government. The youths, who form a quantum of the country’s working population, the governor assured won’t be left behind in the scheme of things.
So, which developmental strides could have drawn award organisers to the incumbent in the last six years? Talking about road transportation, the state is witnessing a paradigm shift from hydro-carbon emitting buses to electric and gas-powered buses and intra city trains. This development was enabled by the tripodal transportation model of the present administration and the huge investments in road infrastructure, rail and water transportation systems. Coordinated by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, the agency introduced the first set of electric mass transit to Lagos roads in 2023. The intensity of the mass transit programme of this administration aside, moving Lagosians enmasse from point A to point B, is also geared towards decongesting the roads.
The state’s mass transit models was also designed to stem hydro-carbon emissions from vehicles, thereby polluting the environment. Already, the final lap of the blue line rail service from Marina to Okokomaiko is nearing completion. The Red line from Oyingbo to Agbado is operational even as the Memorandum of Understanding for the Purple line from Lagos-Badagry expressway to Redemption Camp in Ogun State has been signed. These are legacy projects that will outlive this administration. They also underscore the current government’s tremendous impact on infrastructure development and enhancement of Lagosians’ quality of life.
In the health sector, the governor is leaving distinct impressions on the functionality of the three tiers of health services in the state. The introduction of the Social Health Insurance initiative (also known as Ilera-Eko) is ingenuous. The scheme, which is already gaining momentum, is targeted at achieving Universal Health Coverage for the teaming population of Lagos residents. Determined to stem the brain drain in the health sector, the governor has proposed a University of Medical Sciences with the ambition to produce a thousand doctors per annum.
The education sector is also thriving in this dispensation given the state’s free education policy which gives equal opportunity to every child to access basic education regardless of the child’s tribal or religious backgrounds. The administration has also been consistent in infrastructural upgrade of public schools. ditto the elevation of some state’s tertiary institutions to degree-awarding schools.
The state’s economic outlook under this administration has been positive, with projections of continued growth, particularly in the service sector. Highly commendable in the outgone financial year was the state’s Internal Revenue Service, which revved up its tax revenue target by hitting the N1 trillion mark set for it. Rated the fifth largest economy in Africa, Lagos currently boast of capacity to rake in N5 trillion tax revenue yearly if the right policies are put in place. The state’s tourism sector has also proved formidable as a huge revenue earner with the last Detty December.
The city hosted a wide array of spectacular events and a massive crowd of locals and diaspora returnees. The festival season highlighted the state’s rich cultural heritage and raked into government coffers a significant revenue particularly in tourism, hospitality, and entertainment. Above all is the security rating of Lagos which has endeared her to visitors and investors. This testimony by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, who was in Lagos last December, summed up the safety and security rating of the state. ‘I can recall since 2007, only one bank robbery had succeeded in Lagos. And that was as far back as 2014’, adding, ‘the days of armed robbery and bank robbery are gone in Lagos’.
If bank and armed robberies have been buried, it is a matter of time when traffic robbery will also become a thing of the past. If one may ask, “why wouldn’t a governor administering a state with such sterling records not attract award donors”?