‘Lagos drives Africa’s economy, reshaping continent’s future’ – Sanwo-Olu reveals
By Adeola Ogunrinde
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has described Lagos as a key driver of urban transformation in Africa, noting that the city is helping shape the continent’s economic and development future.
He made this remark while speaking at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum hosted by the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics in Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
The forum, which was co-sponsored by the Harvard University Center for African Studies and the Bloomberg Center for Cities, was themed “Africa’s Urban Future: Cities at the Crossroads of Growth and Resilience.”
The governor said Lagos is currently experiencing a rapid expansion that is reshaping patterns of urban development across the continent. According to him, the city stands at the centre of Africa’s transformation and represents a clear signal that the continent’s urban future has already begun.
Sanwo-Olu, who attended as the guest speaker, further highlighted the opportunities and challenges facing rapidly growing African cities.
Speaking on Lagos’ development efforts, the governor noted that his administration is implementing key projects through the THEMES+ agenda in areas such as transportation, tourism, technology, security, and social inclusion.
He added that Lagos, ranked as Africa’s second-largest city by population after Cairo in Egypt, continues to address the challenges of rapid population growth, particularly environmental and waste management issues, through a well-structured development plan, while also highlighting the state’s achievements in transportation and technology, including the Blue and Red rail lines and a growing technology ecosystem with over 2,000 startups.
The governor also disclosed that Lagos attracts large numbers of diaspora visitors during the festive period popularly known as “Detty December,” while the state equally accounts for a significant share of Nigeria’s capital inflows and internally generated revenue.
