The whole infrastructural developmental plan started shortly after Sanwo-Olu was sworn into office as Governor on May 29, 2019 and it has been no stopping for the people's Governor, who has not just finished uncompleted projects of the immediate past two administrations in the state, but started and completed new ones for the benefit of the people.
In the last three years, in spite of the effects of COVID-19, which began unexpectedly towards the end of 2019 into Year 2020, and its massive economic and social impact on the entire world, the administration of Governor Sanwo-Olu embarked on and continued the rehabilitation and construction of roads, railways, classrooms and good transport networks and other government facilities more than any other state in Nigeria.
The government of Lagos State under the able leadership of Mr. Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has completed several capital projects such as the Agege Pen Cinema Bridge, upgrading and construction of road infrastructures in and around Somolu, Mushin, Badagry, Ikeja, Epe, Lekki, Ikorodu, Lagos Island and several other parts of Lagos.
However, one of the most recognizable achievements of the Governor is in the area of infrastructural development. More than 59 major capital projects including the Agege Pen Cinema fly over, ramp and road networks, Lagos-Ogun Boundary roads Phase II, Lekki Oniru Traffic Circulation Projects, network of roads in Ojokoro, Somolu and Ikoyi, among others have been undertaken by the Governor. Governor Sanwo-Olu’s administration also constructed and rehabilitated 326 inner roads in the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state. It also commissioned the Oshodi-Abule Egba BRT lane, while the Eleko junction to Epe concrete pavement road construction is ongoing. These road projects were executed to bring comfort and succor to the people of the state.
For the records, Lagos State has witnessed the birth of various highly commendable projects and initiatives; the state government has rehabilitated and constructed old and new classrooms across all the local government areas, and improved water and rail transport systems. All these were achieved through the focused leadership style of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his team.
Indeed ’Governance is about performance, and the recent infrastructural transformation in Lagos State is commendable’. To state the least, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is an achiever and a performer with good and very commendable track records. Nevertheless, there is nothing stopping those in the know to give commendations, where necessary after an objective and critical analysis or assessment of the leadership and governing styles of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
This commendation was indeed recognized recently by The Sun Newspapers, which awarded him as “Governor of the Year.” Our Governor has indeed excelled in the discharge of his duties as the arrow head in Lagos State, but he will still do more if given the chance to continue the good works he started in the state three years ago.
Checks in the media revealed that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in the last three years, graced the front pages of major national dailies and weekly magazines for various positive achievements, one of which is his outstanding performance since his assumption of office as the Executive Governor of Lagos State.
While the state is known by its slogan as the "Center of Excellence," it has indeed shown itself as a state worthy to be emulated as it has established itself as a leading state in terms of growth, development and progress. All thanks to the excellent array of Governors the state has been blessed with in the past that made Lagos the true CENTER OF EXCELLENCE.Sanwo-Olu is a performer, an actualizer, who took after his mentor, and the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in thinking outside the box and turning Lagos State into the envy of others states through creative thinking and progressive initiatives, projects and programmes that can stand the test of time. Lagosians and Nigerians generally will not forget in a hurry the gallant performance of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on the management of the outbreak of COVID-19 in the state.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was able to lead a formidable and efficient team, which saw to the effective management of the situation, thereby curtailing what could have led to a devastating health issue in the state.Without any iota of doubt, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has gainfully used the T.H.E.M.E.S template to transform Lagos State beyond the expectations of many Lagosians, making Lagos a modern Megacity with a 21st century economy supported by a world class infrastructure and other social amenities. The acronym T.H.E.M.E.S, which means:
Traffic Management and Transportation, Health and Environment, Education and Technology, Making Lagos State a 21st Century Economy, Entertainment and Tourism, Security and Governance have been taken to the level of a sublime degree of functionality within an extraordinarily short space of time in Lagos.In the Agricultural sector, through the Agricultural Value Chains Enterprise Activation Programme, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has trained many youths in various agricultural endeavours, which has tremendously given them support and means of livelihood.The state government has trained over 14,500 women, while thousands of youths in the state have been empowered across several value chains.
The Lagos State Government has also continued to ensure the training and facilitation of more women and youths to become self-reliant.Also adding to this long list of achievements, are positive activities in the Environmental sector. In order to secure a clean Lagos, Governor Sanwo-Olu donated 30 units of 12-cubic meter trucks, 60 units of 24-cubic meter trucks and 12 hook loaders, which are expected to complement over 850 PSP compactor trucks to enhance service delivery in underserved communities across the state.In the area of public transportation, the integrated mass transportation initiative of the state government has recorded huge progress with the successful completion of the elevated seas crossing track of the blue line mass transit project, while the state government has recruited 1,517 LASTMA officers to ease traffic flow.
The State Government has availed itself of the three modes of transportation of roads, rail and waterways to boost public transportation in the highly populated areas.Under social welfare programs, the Governor has continued to reach out to the people with various incentives to boost their standards of living. Notable in this category is the payment of monthly allowances to 4,000 unemployed graduates, including some direct gratification to widows.Grants have also been made available to business owners in the state to provide much needed financial supports and assistance for their various business enterprises, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which negatively impacted many businesses including MSME as well as the nation’s economy.In the area of sports, Governor Sanwo-Olu supported the sector and also donated a three-bedroom apartment to sport icon, Chioma Ajunwa in Lagos as a fulfilment of the house reward promised her for winning the Long Jump event in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, USA.
This is apart from several sporting activities being sponsored by the state government through the relevant sport agencies in the state. It is encouraging that most of these achievements took place within the first half of Sanwo-Olu's first term as the Executive Governor of the state. We will still strongly exhort this simple, humble, but administratively efficient Governor of Lagos state not to rest on his oars or lower his standard in the direction he has chosen for himself for the benefit of the citizens of Lagos state.
We need not say more but, we will enjoin the Governor to improve on his unequalled record performances and achievements so that from 2023 Lagos will continue to be ranked among the very best megacities in the world and he can continue to take the state to a greater level. Indeed, we stand on the mandate of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu to lead us to the Promised Land from Year 2023 and beyond as nobody can do it better.
