Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has been commended for raising the bar in governance and giant strides in infrastructure, education, empower initiatives as well as the planned return of the monthly sanitation programme in the state.
A civil society group, Pan African Society for Social and Economic Change gave the remarks following a periodic review of governance under Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday in Abuja.
In his assessment, the Executive Director of the group, Basah Mohammed described the governor as a trailblazer and leader whose legacies is impacting the country as a whole. Additionally, Sanwo-Olu has set a high standard with the level of transformation going on in Nigeria’s commercial capital.
He noted that the World Bank’s recent commendation of Sanwo-Olu for significant transformation witnessed in the state over the past five years was a clear testament that the governor is doing exceptionally well. At the same time, highlighting Sanwo-Olu’s exploits in the education sector, environmental protection, youth employment, and entrepreneurship, amongst others.
“When a global financial institution like the World Bank is singling out a governor for praise that says a lot, and I can confirm without a doubt that Gov. Sanwo-Olu has performed in enhancing the quality of life for residents and his commitment to upgrading infrastructure to boost socio-economic development is second to none.
“Lagos State Government under his leadership is transforming the transportation landscape of Lagos, which has become a model for a modern city. The administration’s delivery of intra-city rail infrastructure and investment in waterways have greatly enhanced the state’s economic prospects.
“Governor Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to improving education was a central promise of his campaign and today has been actualized through the EKOEXCEL program, designed to address the learning crisis in Lagos public primary schools.
“As we talk, the programme has uplifted pupils from low-income families to performance levels comparable to their peers in upper-middle-income countries. In over five years, EKOEXCEL has dramatically reduced learning poverty, transforming the educational landscape of Lagos State.
“Lagos government under Sanwo-Olu also aligned with the urgency for actions to mitigate the effects of climate change and reduce carbon footprints. The signing of two waste conversion initiatives secured significant foreign investments.
The idea of returning to monthly clean-up exercise in Lagos state is a cheery development and shows that the Lagos state governor is a listening leader.
“Governor Sanwo-Olu also came up with a novel idea which has the potential to transform the fortunes of the youths. The initiative tagged, ‘EMPOWER LAGOS’ was part of economic efforts to curb youth unemployment and empower artisans, indicating that residents have the chance to learn technical and vocational skills that open the door to employment and entrepreneurial opportunities.
I can confirm to you that millions of Lagosians are benefitting from this programme, jobs are created in millions since the initiative took off, “He stated.
