The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has described Lagos as a living testament to African possibility. He said Lagos occupies a very small fraction of Nigeria’s landmass, yet it has grown into one of the most economically consequential urban centres on the continent.
He said Lagos, which is now Africa’s second-largest city economy, with a GDP at roughly US$259 billion on a purchasing power parity basis, remains Nigeria’s principal commercial gateway, a major destination for capital, enterprise, talent and ideas, and one of the clearest examples anywhere in Africa of how a sub-national government can shape not only local outcomes but also wider regional and global conversations.
Governor Sanwo-Olu spoke at the closing ceremony of Africa Week 2026, organised by King’s College London at the African Leadership Centre, United Kingdom, on the topic titled “Exercising Agency beyond the Nation-State: Debating Change and Transformation in the Global City, Lagos”, on Friday evening.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, expressed sincere appreciation to King’s College London for the invitation to be part of Africa Week 2026, and said the theme of the event, “Exercising Agency beyond the Nation-State”, is both timely and important because for a long time, much of the conversation about power, development and influence has been framed almost exclusively around national governments.
He added that Lagos is relevant to the conversation because it has demonstrated how policy and enterprise can reinforce each other, noting that Lagos has emerged as the anchor of Nigeria’s startup landscape and one of the most dynamic technology ecosystems in the world. He reminded participants that Lagos was recently ranked the world’s fastest-growing tech ecosystem, noting that the State hosts more than 2,000 startups and has produced five unicorns across fintech and digital commerce.
He said: “My own conviction, since assuming office in 2019, has been that Lagos must be governed not as a problem to be managed, but as a platform to be unlocked. That is the spirit behind our development philosophy in Lagos, captured in our THEMES+ agenda. We needed an operating system that could hold together the complexity of a megacity: transport and traffic management; health and environment; education and technology; making Lagos a 21st-century megacity; environment and tourism; security and governance; and, importantly, social inclusion, gender equality and youth.
The Governor disclosed that “Since 2019, our administration has tried to remain focused on the fundamentals that give people confidence in government: roads and bridges that improve movement; housing that expands access; security support that improves response; emergency systems that save lives; schools and digital tools that prepare young people for a changing economy; and public institutions that are more responsive than they were before.
Governor Sanwo-Olu stressed further that “The Lagos of today is not just growing in population; it is growing in productive capacity,” adding that “Our 2026 budget of ₦4.44 trillion reflects an ambition to keep investing in infrastructure, social services and economic competitiveness at scale.”
Speaking further on the State Government’s commitment to the growth and development of Lagos, Governor Sanwo-Olu said his administration has created an environment where government does not suffocate enterprise but rather clears a path for it through enabling platforms, regulation, talent formation, connectivity, payments infrastructure and the confidence to let innovation scale.
Speaking on the need for African cities to exercise agency beyond inherited limits, Governor Sanwo-Olu advised that they must confront climate risk not as a side conversation but as a central development issue.
