Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s approach to governance is an unprecedented feat that could be only seen during the time of Chief Obafemi Awolowo. The twenty first century governor of Lagos State marked himself out amongst his contemporaries in style, approach and intent. An exemplary leader is one who is deliberate, focused, passionate and pragmatic about his jurisdiction.
History has shown that there is no convenient time to lead, it takes only a deliberate attempt and critical moves to lead, especially one of Africa’s most populous and prominent cities.
Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu is a man prepared for the tasking job at a demanding time we are currently experiencing. Like has always been the case, great men make their names in tough moments and Governor Sanwo-Olu has veered in that direction as his pragmatic approach to governance started from the onset and is blooming into something magnificent that history would record in gold ink.
During the Awolowo centenary remembrance, former United Nations Secretary General, Koffi Anan spoke of the Nigerian sage with such respect and candidness by describing Obafemi Awolowo as a ‘Deliberate Leader’. This was a clear of how the famous Western Nigeria Premier governed the region with so much success.
A close review of the Obafemi Awolowo’s success plan shows how he gave priorities to education, healthcare, staff welfare and other critical areas of the economy, during his time.
In his subsequent plans during his latter days’ campaigns for Nigeria’s presidency, the late sage kept promoting this blueprint of success to the Nigerian electorates.
Till date, and for a very long time, history will continue to remember Awolowo existential achievements for his people. No doubt, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is a good student of history and is prepared in all ramifications for the job of governing Lagos State.
Right from the inception of his nomination, Sanwo-Olu mapped out development plan for Lagos. His management blueprint christened T.H.E.ME.S, maybe an acronym, yet, it is a significant management tool to have a theme to serve as a short and long term guide. Those who have been in management level in corporate institutions would know that big corporations succeed by developing, executing and monitoring strategic plans, usually enshrined in themes.
A theme by its literal meaning is a unifying or dominant idea in a work. One thing common with the over thousands of dictionary meaning of theme is that theme is a recurring subject or idea that could be felt in any creative or management work. This is what every other thing are build around and remains the core of a work.
Any public work without a theme is bound to fail because haphazard approach usually end in loss. Being a banker, town planner and public executive, Babajide Sanwo-Olu knows the significance of starting with and following a theme in any venture.
Therefore, he started from the drawing board by designing a workable theme for the state of Lagos and summarised the cardinal needs of the state under key points.
The Sanwo-Olu T.H.E.M.E.S agenda encapsulates six critical needs peculiar to the people of Lagos Nigeria, namely: Traffic Management & Transportation; Education & Technology; Security& Governance; Health and Environment; Entertainment & Tourism and Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy.
Being a Lagosian, born, raised, taught and works in Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu shows he truly knows his territory and understands where the problem lies. His management plan reflects the key issues Lagos inhabitants suffers and tackles the bull by the horn.
An urban metropolitan city like Lagos with almost twenty million people in 2023, public infrastructure like transportation, housing, school, health coupled with the issues of unemployment, security and environmental disasters are recurrent issues to contend with. A city with population larger than some countries in the world, no doubt, is facing many infrastructural deficiency. The infrastructural needs of Lagos are constantly rising as time passes. Inflation, currency devaluation, dwindling government income and many other challenges compound the situation for a State Like Lagos with so much population to care for (unofficial sources stated that Lagos had 24.6 million inhabitants in 2015 and was estimated to hit 35 million mark in 2040. Whatever it is, Lagos holds the largest inhabitants in Nigeria and West Africa).
However, the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration defied the odds by following through with its T.H.E.M.E.S agenda. So far, within his first term in office as the executive governor of Lagos State, records have shown that Governor Sanwo-Olu has gathered an impressive catalogue of massive infrastructural projects across Lagos State.
The infamous Lagos traffic congestion is one grave public challenge that has affected the low and high people of Lagos. People don’t only spend valuable hours in Lagos traffic morning and evening (people stay in traffic on average of four hours per day), the condition of roads are terribly bad that vehicles worn out faster than they ought to last.
The governor made traffic management and transportation the cardinal point of his T.H.E.M.E.S agenda and he has so far recorded huge success.
Within three years, the governor completed eleven road projects in the Lagos metropolis and is about completing thirty-three other roads. These are aside the thirteen major bridges he completed with twelve jetties upgraded in the coastal areas of the state.
The Ijede Road Phase 1 in Ikorodu was duly completed within six months; 31 network roads in Ojokoro were duly completed; Oshodi-Abule-Egba of 13.68 km road was completed; 3 network roads at Oniru, Victoria Island and Church Gate Street completed; 34 roads at Kosofe, Somolu, Victoria Island and Ikoyi axis were completed; 1.4 km flyover and dual carriage way in Pen Cinema Bridge, Agege completed.
Many other structural projects rapidly in progress include the commissioned Tedi-Muwo Link Bridge at Alimosho and Agbado Oke-Odo; commissioned the construction of 3.89 km long Ojota-Opebi Link Bridge and a 3.84 capacity multi-level car park at Onikan Lagos. Among the massive ongoing infrastructural constructions in Lagos by the Sanwo-Olu’s government include the Badagry Expressway which has been completed up to Agbara; the Agric-Isawo Road linking Lagos-Ibadan Expressway from Ikorodu is in progress and the Ibeju-Lekki Eti Osa Lagoon Road is in progress.
Still on the list of ongoing road projects are the Ijagemo-Ijeododo Road in Alimosho; the Aka/Kenberi Road, OLD OJO; SHASHA Link Bridge; Isuti Road and Ishefun-Camp Davies road networks in Badagry have attain reasonable level of completion. Aradagun-Mosafejo-Ilado-Imeke Road Phase 2 of about 7.000 km and phase 3 of same axis; Oba Dosumu Road at Ikeja; Oduduwa Way Ikeja; Sabo Arobiodu Road, Ikeja; Reverend Braithwaite Road Ikoyi; Epe Road network of 1.028km and the Ijede Road Phase 1, Ikorodu, is about eighty to ninety percent near completion.
Likewise the Oba Sekumade Road in Ikorodu of 2.500km; Gberigbe Road, Ikorodu; Adeniji Adele Road; Finbars Road; Iwaya Road; Tapa/Okepopo Streets; Admiralty Circle Toll Plaza, Lekki; Maiyegun Road/Lekki Beach Road/Silverbird Road/Victoria Island and many other inner roads are either half way or near completion. The Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration in mere three years in office has upgraded over 970 roads and rehabilitates over 650 inner roads.
His administration did not only built roads, but also constructed several bridges. The Agege flyover pedestrian bridge and dual carriageway at Pen Cinema; Ikotun Egbe bridge cum extension of Iyana Era Bridge, Ojo; Ogudu-Alapere link bridge and the Old Ota bridge are duly completed and commissioned by the government. The Iyana Iba interchange and flyover bridge; Alaba Interchange Bridge in Amuwo Odofin and the Bridge at Oba Sekumade Road are all near completion.
In addition to the land road networks, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu also improved alternative mode of urban transportation by constructing and upgrading major jetties across Lagos metropolis. The Ijede waterfront in Ikorodu; Apapa-Badagry jetties; Apapa-Ebute Ero; Mile 2; Ijegun-Egba jetties; Amuwo Odofin jetties; Eti Osa jetties, Marina waterfront; Oke Ira Nla and Takwa Bay jetties are all functioning after receiving attention from the governor.
With these came the building of 12 BRT stations, 500 units of FLM buses, deployment of traffic lights and CCTV cameras across the state roads, launching of LagRide with 1, 000 units of SUVs, commissioned 4 bus terminals (Mafoluku, Yaba, Oyingbo and Ajah). The governor also added to the road personnel by employing 1300 LASTMA officers, acquisition of 1 barge and 21 boats and created 284 jobs in the process.
Metropolis cities around the globe have intra-train transport system, in his bid to ensure a smooth ride in Lagos metropolis, Governor Sanwo-Olu took the bold step by commenced metro train programme and established the Lagos Red Line and Bleu Line Rails. He brought in 10-car intra city metropolitan speed trains and has completed 380 metre-long sea crossing bridge component of the Blue Line Rail, spanning Mile 2 to Marina. The Lagos Blue Line Rail made a test run in December 2022.