The numerous efforts of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to reposition Lagos State has not only come to the notice of people but they just earned him encomium and awards from independent groups who objectively bestow coveted honour on the Lagos State Governor. Coming from independent media houses, which are managed by non-members of the All Progressives Congress, shows how important the awards are. In one weekend, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu bagged two awards from two different media establishments for his people-centric activities in Lagos.
The first of the awards was from the Independent Newspaper, a Nigerian national daily. The indigenous newspaper bestowed the award of Governor of the Year on the Lagos State Governor on Saturday, March 5, 2022 at the Eko Hotel and Suits in a special event. The Independent Newspaper named Sanwo-Olu as Governor of the Year for his works in Infrastructure and Urban Renewal.
According to the spokesperson of the newspaper, Governor Sanwo-Olu has matched his campaign promises with actions by delivering tangible projects across Local Government Areas in Lagos.
The award came as a result open deliberation in the public domain as the newspaper announced to the public to vote for their favourite governor of the year 2021, based on certain given parameters. Three other governors were selected but the Lagos State Governor pulled the highest votes from the publics.
The second award, which made the loudest publicity and attracted international attention, was the Silverbird award. Going by the track record of the founder and owner of Silverbird Groups, one would know that Senator Ben Bruce Murray is a self-made man who always speaks truth to power. He wouldn’t nominate Governor Sanwo-Olu to curry favour from the state government. The award is a based on credible procedure. With many categories of awards organised every year, the Man of the Year award top the list as the recipient must be generally acceptable as a man of good standing in the society and must have contributed positively to the development of his society.
Nigerians voted Sanwo-Olu as Silverbird Man of the Year, becoming the 20th recipient of the prestigious award initiated by the Silverbird Group to celebrate public and private citizens whose actions have shaped the course of development positively.
According to management of Silverbird Groups, Governor Sanwo-Olu was nominated for transforming Lagos, making it a huge construction site through infrastructural renewal and repositioning the state onto the pathway of an emerging smart city and a sub- national of global reckoning.
The award ceremony was held at the Eko Hotels and Suite on Sunday 6, March 2022, just a day after the governor received Governor of the Year from the Independent Newspaper. The criteria are hinged on those, who in the public opinion have impacted positively on the quality of lives of Nigerians, specifically so in their chosen careers and public office.