Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday, said that Lagos is the beating heart of Nigeria and the reason Nigeria is the regional and continental leader that it is today, adding that Nigeria’s capacity to convert every remaining ounce of raw potential that it possess, into the hard currency of world power and global influence will depend, to a large extent, on Lagos.

Sanwo-Olu stated this while delivering the first Distinguished Lecture for 2025 of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) at Victoria Island, Lagos, on Tuesday, titled ‘Lagos and Nigeria 2030: Projections of a World Power’.

The governor, who thanked the NIIA, under the leadership of Professor Eghosa Osaghae, a distinguished political scientist, for extending the prestigious invitation to him, stated that, as Nigeria’s foremost think tank on global affairs, the NIIA is a proud embodiment of a robust legacy of intellectual leadership, consistently articulating Nigeria’s place in a world that never stops changing.

Sanwo-Olu stated that he found the theme especially inspiring, given how it readily acknowledges the very strong interconnection between Lagos and Nigeria, and the fact that there is no future version of Nigeria that will not be deeply shaped and impacted by Lagos.

“What does it mean for Nigeria to be a global power? I would define global power as being essentially multidimensional, combining economic power, diplomatic and geopolitical clout, technological capacity, cultural and soft power, military and defence strength, demography, and resource abundance.

“We must also acknowledge that the assessment of world power is not a static concept; it is one that constantly evolves. There was a time when global power was measured largely by how many colonies a country occupied, and the size of its naval fleet fleet—that asset being the primary way in which strength was projected and control maintained over a vast range of colonies accessible only by sea.

“Today, while a well-resourced Navy is still a vital projector of national strength, the landscape—or seascape—has changeddramatically. Wars are now primarily fought, not at sea, but instead in the air and the cyber domain. The point I am making is about the fluidity of the indicators of global power, as technology advances and geopolitical realities change.

“The concept of ‘Nigeria 2030’ brings to mind a series of national and international visions. On the domestic scene, Vision 2010 comes to mind, followed by Vision 20:2020. Then, the Nigeria Agenda 2050, launched by the Buhari administration in 2023, seeks to place Nigeria among the world’s leading middle-income economies by 2050.

“Upon assumption of office, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a goal of making Nigeria a one trillion dollar economy by 2030. Nigeria’s commitments to the Paris Climate Agreement envisage that we will end gas flaring by 2030 while also generating a third of our electricity from renewable sources.

“On the subnational level, we have Lagos State Development Plan 2052, our 30-year development plan that we launched in 2022, eloquently articulating our ambition to become Africa’s Model Mega City and a Global, Economic and Financial Hub that is safe, secure, functional and productive.”

Sanwo-Olu stated that the Lagos State 30 Year Plan is anchored on four pillars: thriving economy, modern infrastructure, human-centric city, and effective governance.

“As 2030 bears down on us with determination and urgency, fears are mounting already that those global targets will be missed, given, on the one hand, the scale of funding required and the limits of committed resources, and on the other hand, disruptions such as Covid-19 and various geopolitical conflicts and natural disasters around the world.

“Let me quickly add a bit more context to Vision 2010, developed as the guiding document that would take Nigeria into the long-anticipated 21st century. It is significant in being the last Nigerian national vision or plan overseen by a military government,” he said.

Speaking about Nigeria’s influence and power since it attained self-governing status, Sanwo-Olu said Nigeria’s aspirations to be a world power have their roots in Independence from the British—an independence that was fought for and clamoured for, albeit in a non-violent manner.

“Africa has come of age. It is no longer under the orbit of any extracontinental power. It should no longer take orders from any country, however powerful. The fortunes of Africa are in our hands to make or mar. For too long have we been kicked around; for too long have we been treated like adolescents who cannot discern their interests and act accordingly. The time has come when we should make it clear that we can decide for ourselves; that we know our own interests and how to protect those interest.

“We stood up boldly to Western powers on apartheid, penalised foreign companies that did business in apartheid South Africa, and raised more money than any other country to support the efforts of our brothers and sisters in South Africa, hosted the largest festival of black arts the world had ever seen, and provided very generous take-off grants to the newly independent country of Zimbabwe.”