The South West Initiative (SWI) has commended Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for achievements and projecting Nigeria’s commercial capital and the nation at large as prime investment destinations to the world.
Sanwo-Olu last week spoke during a lecture at Harvard Business School in the United States on the topic “Building the Future: Lagos State Infrastructure-led Transformation” as part of Professor Hakeem Belo-Osagie’s course “Understanding Africa: Business, Entrepreneurship, Political Economy and the Complexities of a Continent”.
SWI in a statement on Sunday, its Director General, Razaq Olokooba, applauded the Lagos governor for his brilliance in highlighting to the audience the economic strength, infrastructure projects, and policy reforms aimed at driving growth and attracting global investment in Lagos and across Nigeria.
The group while expressing delight over Sanwo-Olu’s presentation in the United States described the Lagos governor as a pride to the Black race and a very good marketer of the nation.
“Governor has been a trailblazer since becoming the first citizen of Lagos state, and he has performed beyond expectation but projecting the nation in a good light in faraway United States reinforces the belief many of us have in him.
“So for us, Governor Sanwo-Olu brilliantly projected through his presentation, he (Sanwo-Olu) is an asset not only to Lagos and Nigeria but the whole of the African continent. He is a pride to the Black race and his achievements speak for him in Lagos.
“Lagos is one of the biggest cities in the world economic-wise and Nigeria has enormous potentials and someone must at all times let the world know about these potentials.
“Let’s not forget that under Sanwo-Olu as Lagos governor, the state boasts of GDP of $259bn, a population of 25 million, four seaports, good through infrastructure development, particularly in transportation, housing, education, technology, healthcare, and a well-structured rail transportation system.
“So we hail our dear governor for his accomplishments and for promoting Lagos, Nigeria, and Africa in the United States, “the group averred.
Sanwo-Olu, in his speech at Harvard Business School in the United States, told the audience and potential investors present: “With a GDP of $259bn, a population of 25 million, four seaports, and investor-friendly policies, Lagos is a business and commercial powerhouse.
“Lagos is a place where people come in without anything and become somebody, Lagos is experiencing a transformation through infrastructure development, particularly in transportation, housing, education, technology, and healthcare.
“We have the Lagos Blue Line—the first intra-city electric rail system in Africa—which has already transported over two million passengers, averaging 42,000 daily.
“The Red Line is operational, while work is set to begin on the Green Line to connect Lagos Island with the Lekki-Epe corridor, where a new airport is also under development.”
The governor also outlined strides in education, pointing to the establishment of two new universities and a third focused on medical sciences aimed at addressing the state’s healthcare workforce needs.
In the tech space, Sanwo-Olu described Lagos as one of Nigeria’s leading technology hubs, noting that the state is nurturing a large pool of tech talent as part of a 30-year Development Plan to create a human-centric economy.
“If Microsoft or Amazon is looking to hire 10,000 tech professionals, Lagos should be the first place to look.
“There have been fashion shows, drama performances, and movies. A movie made in Lagos has just been nominated to be presented at the Cannes Film Festival,” he noted, adding that the state is working to formalize its tourism and entertainment calendar.”
Sanwo-Olu listed achievements in road construction and housing delivery—over 1,000 roads have been built or rehabilitated, and more than 3,000 housing units provided—as well as developments in clean energy, including the introduction of more Compressed Natural Gas buses.
On health, he revealed ongoing construction of a new General Hospital, a mental health hospital and rehabilitation centre, and the new Massey Street Children’s Hospital, which is set to become the largest of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa.
