As long as you adopt the spirit of Lagos, Lagos, in turn, shall adopt you.
As I said in my acceptance speech, I am too focused on moving Lagos forward to give a second thought to where a person may have come from. As long as you are animated by the spirit of achievement, cooperation, and tolerance, then you are Lagosian. This is my motto.
This is how I see our home and this is how I shall run my government. I shall select the best and most qualified people to hold positions in our government.
My door shall remain open to all. I shall seek the advice of the learned, the wise and the ordinary Lagosian, for in the common man resides much wisdom and fairness of thought.
While one cannot help but hear the kind words of friends, I must pay even closer attention to the voice of my critics.
In constructive criticism lies the seeds of improvement. With these things in mind, let me quickly outline my goals for a Greater Lagos.
The Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, and I are single-minded in our desire to bequeath to our successors a far Greater Lagos than the one we inherited today
And to do so, we have formulated a concise framework that encapsulates our collective vision for the state and ensures that our undertaking remains focused and our communication remains clear as we endeavour to build a Greater Lagos we can all be proud to call home.
The framework, as our six (6) Pillars of Development Agenda, is captured by the acronym, “T.H.E.M.E.S, which I will briefly talk about:
T – Traffic Management and Transportation
Here, we must act with urgency to execute a transport masterplan that will fully integrate road, rail, and water transportation into a multi-modal transport system that makes commuting easy for Lagosians.
We must also ensure compliance with all traffic rules and regulations on our roads.
H – Health and Environment
Because we know the significance of a clean environment in preventive healthcare, we have a moral duty to provide basic health care for our people, especially those who cannot afford it. Under our comprehensive health program, we will place special emphasis on maternal healthcare, malaria and water-borne diseases.
We will also focus on sanitation and waste management, by ensuring that our drainage systems are functional and kept clean.
E – Education and Technology
We will invest in the education of our children and young adults. By increasing the budgetary allocation to education, this government will empower teachers in every local government and strengthen their capacity to deliver quality education to our children.
New educational infrastructure will cultivate a learning environment that prepares our children for a new world that demands creativity, intuition and critical thinking.
We will ensure technology is integrated into our school curriculum and empower our youths with the much-needed skills for the jobs of tomorrow.
M – Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy
By investing in critical infrastructure, we will accelerate the growth of our economy and empower the private sector who are the real engines of growth.
We must break the deadlock that shackles our power distribution, provide sustainable urban settlements that address the current deficit; while at the same time building a smart city that achieves urban harmony and sets a new bar in our nation.
E – Entertainment and Tourism
We will nurture and showcase our cultural heritage and unique hospitality, support our entertainment, visual arts, and sports sectors, and inspire the kind of creativity from our most talented individuals that will enhance our reputation at home – and abroad.
S – Security and Governance
The last of these pillars of development is Security and Governance.
It is important to ensure that we set the right tone for good governance and accountability at the top.
To this end, my administration will ensure that we walk the talk as far as transparency, the rule of law and fiscal discipline are concerned.
We will make sure that we create the right environment in which security and safety of lives and property are guaranteed.
Our ultimate goal would be to ensure that Lagos State remains one of the top destinations on the African continent to live, work and invest in.
These six (6) Pillars of Development represent our response to the yearnings of the people. They constitute the foundations that must be restored for future generations.
And should we fulfil our promise and deliver on these pillars, we are most confident that we will have succeeded in setting Lagos on a new trajectory of economic growth and development that would be unprecedented in our entire history.
Let me also add that in doing all of these, the welfare and socio-economic well-being of our hardworking civil servants would equally be given the priority that it truly deserves.
Similarly, our youth and women would be well integrated into our governance structure to equally contribute their utmost to our developmental strides.
The mission upon which we embark today, shall happen. As we gather force and momentum, there will be no mortal power that can stop our movement towards greater prosperity, justice and hope.
I urge you all, therefore, to lend yourself to this excellent cause and join our march to victory over our social and economic challenges. Do not stand aside and let this good development pass you by.
The hearts and hands of the Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat and myself are extended to each and every Lagosian.
Join us on this noble journey as we strive together to birth and nurture a Greater Lagos.
However, make no mistake, the success of our development agenda must be a shared and collective responsibility.
I implore us all as Lagosians to rededicate ourselves to contribute our individual quotas positively and responsibly in this new drive to reform our society and take it to a higher pedestal.
We must imbibe the spirit of being our brothers’ keeper in our daily lives at home, work, recreational places and worship centres, and most especially on our roads.
With these goals, we embark on a new social contract that will ultimately be beneficial to all; irrespective of age, religion, socio-economic status or ethnicity.
Every Lagosian has a role in this government and we will on our part, certainly walk the talk in all that we would do as your elected officials.
As I conclude, I agree that Lagos has many challenges before it, challenges that have the power to consume us.
We must, therefore, be prudent, yet not afraid to act, to ensure that this large population enjoys the economic prosperity and social security that our developmental agenda has to offer.
We have, without doubt, been placed here at a momentous time. Let us make the most of what God has given us. We cannot afford to do less than that.
On this day, I vow as your governor that I will serve the public cause with my utmost ability and commitment. With your help, I know we can make Lagos Greater still.
Indeed, our best days lie ahead of us.
Thank you
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
God bless Lagos State
God bless you all.
H.E. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu
Governor, Lagos State.
