Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday, said that the state is the beating heart of Nigeria and the reason the country is the regional and continental leader that it is today.
He also described the state as Nigeria’s laboratory for growth, innovation and reform. Sanwo-Olu said that the state occupies a central place in the country’s future, noting that Nigeria’s capacity to transform its vast potential into global influence depends largely on the state.
The governor, who thanked the NIIA, under the leadership of Prof. Eghosa Osaghae, a distinguished political scientist, for extending the prestigious invitation to him, said that as Nigeria’s foremost think-tank on global affairs, the NIIA is the proud embodiment of a robust legacy of intellectual leadership, consistently articulating Nigeria’s place in a world that never stops changing.
He, however, acknowledged the very strong interconnection between Lagos State and Nigeria, and the fact that there is no future version of Nigeria that will not be deeply shaped and impacted by the state.
Sanwo-Olu stressed that the future of Nigeria’s economic competitiveness lies with Lagos, citing the Lekki Deep Sea Port, among others, as the most modern on the Continent, which would serve as a gateway for trade and the actualisation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He said that the projects underscored the need for Lagos State to be granted special status, not at the expense of other states, but to leverage its pivotal role in unlocking national growth.
Sanwo-Olu stressed that the future of Nigeria’s economic competitiveness lies with Lagos, citing the Lekki Deep Sea Port, among others, as the most modern on the Continent, which would serve as a gateway for trade and the actualisation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He said that the projects underscored the need for Lagos State to be granted special status, not at the expense of other states, but to leverage its pivotal role in unlocking national growth.
Sanwo-Olu, however, cited the Lagos Security Trust Fund, tax reforms, traffic management and emergency response initiatives that other states had since adopted.
He also recalled that Lagos State, under then-Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, pioneered the creation of Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) to strengthen grassroots governance.
The governor, while speaking about Nigeria’s influence and power since it attained self-governing status, said that the country’s aspirations to be a world power had their roots in independence from the British. He added that despite being the smallest state by landmass, Lagos State has been “bold and visionary” in agricultural investments.
According to him, the state has already provided a window into Nigeria’s future with its undersea cables, world-class data centres, tech start-ups poised for unicorn status, an expanding light rail system, and a growing network of stock and commodity exchanges.
The governor, while commending President Bola Tinubu’s administration for bold steps on insecurity, recalled Nigeria’s resilience through civil war, coups, the COVID-19 pandemic and the war against terrorism.
Earlier, Osaghae said the lecture was informed by NIIA’s recognition of the strategic role Lagos must play in anchoring Nigeria’s progress and development in an evolving world order. He stressed that Lagos should be at the centre of driving not only Nigeria’s advancement but also Africa’s emergence as a force in the global arena.
Osaghae also highlighted reforms undertaken by the Lagos State Government in the judiciary, land administration, industrialisation and commercialisation, insisting that Lagos must continue to lead the way in Nigeria’s development.
