Sixty days into his four-year term, the new governor of Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is showing through his actions that historic challenges can be tackled, write SEGUN ADAMS and GBEMI FAMINU.
Two days after taking the oath of office, the new governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu went on a trip. The trip was to a part of Lagos where Lagosians fear to tread.
His trip was to Apapa, Nigeria’s premier port city which had become nightmarish because of bad roads, poor traffic management and a port complex that has been thoroughly overstretched. His mission was simple: To assess the situation and bring much needed executive attention to bear in order to solve the Apapa conundrum.
“Visiting Apapa was a great step and a sign of seriousness,” says Dr. Bongo Adi, an economist with the Pan Atlantic University. “The case of Lagos state demands strategic interventions,” which Mr. Sanwo-Olu made allusion to by his visit to the port town.”
In the days that followed his first visit, drainages were immediately cleared, not just in Apapa but also across many parts of Lagos in preparation for the rainy season. Days later, the governor repeated his visit, this time, he was accompanied by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
The immediate outcome of the two visits was clear as the traffic situation improved marginally in the area and trucks which previously lined the roads leading reduced drastically. Also, previously abandoned infrastructure projects which were designed to solve the Apapa problem stated receiving government attention. Targets were set for delivery of the projects.
The Sanwo-Olu led administration has also touched several other aspects of governance and infrastructure development. So far, his strategic interventions have centered on the promises he made on the campaign trail.
While campaigning, Sanwo-Olu hinged his plan for Lagos on six pillars. A broad framework captured by the acronym ‘T.H.E.M.E.S’ (Traffic Management & Transportation, Health & Environment, Education & Technology, Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy, Entertainment & Tourism, and Security & Governance).
In the last 60-days, Sanwo-Olu has been quietly focused on assiduously paying attention to strategic areas in line with promises made during the period of campaign, the governor has started addressing these issues that are critical to Lagosians in clever and creative ways.
Traffic management and transportation
Apart from the focus on Apapa which an obvious emergency was, the governor has taken some steps to ease the traffic and transportation problems in throughout Lagos.
Residents attest to the fact that commuting time has been significantly reduced and these comments cuts across the entire state, except from a few areas where evidently the rains have made it impossible for palliative measures to be implemented. In addition to all the roads that are being fixed, drainages are being cleared and traffic officers now spend longer hours on duty so as ease traffic congestion.
“There used to be this long stretch of potholes under the independent tunnel at Maryland. I used to struggle each night on my way from work. However, last week, I realised that it had been fixed,” says Aderonke Niyi, a banker who works at Magodo but lives in Surulere. The result is an improvement in traffic in the area.
A few kilometers away, in the Lekki axis of Lagos efforts have been made to unravel the causes of grid locks which characterize the area, especially during peak hours. The tollgates at both the Admiralty Way and the Lekki toll gates at Shoprite have been opened periodically just to allow traffic studies in order to simulate and unravel the true cause of traffic jams in the area.
In addition, a key stakeholder engagement of residents, churches, events centers, banks and other businesses along Oniru Estate axis all through to those residents along the alternative route was convened with the governor in attendance.
Commenting on the steps taken by the governor so far, elder statesman and first Civilian Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande said the government of Sanwo-Olu has started on a good note and that he believes Sanwo-Olu will further sustain the tempo of economic development of Lagos.
Alhaji Jakande noted that the decision of the governor to focus on infrastructure development would boost the economic prosperity of the state. He urged the governor to take Lagos to the desired destination and hope of all Lagosians during his tenure.
According to Abiodun Adewole who manages a law office in Lagos, “Sanwo-Olu’s first directives on traffic and waste management as well as fixing of potholes and rehabilitation of 100 roads in the Lagos metropolis helped to ease the traffic snarl in the state.”
In his comments, Stanley Mudgere, another lawyer, “the visit of the governor to LASTMA at Oshodi, where he increased the operatives hazard allowances and also reeled out the riot act directing LASTMA to enforce the traffic laws to the letter and not to spare any offenders, even if they were members of his own family, is indeed very commendable of the governor. This alone has brought a significant amount of sanity back to our driving culture. It is evident that incidences of driving against traffic (popularly known as one-way) has significantly reduced since the governors’ pronouncement.
Health and environment
The first 60 days of Sanwo-Olu’s administration have seen Lagos become cleaner. A few weeks Lagos was neck deep in filth and on the brink of an epidemic.
Refuse collection centers at markets and street corners were overflowing with dirt, and public sanitation contractors were in disarray, no one could understand how a city which is referred to as the center of excellence became the center of filth. The past 60 days have seen a reversal of that ugly and unpleasant state of affairs.
After inauguration, the governor signed his first Executive Order on indiscriminate refuse dumping, traffic management, and Public works.
Education and technology
The governor has commenced the implementation of plans to improve quality of education in all state-owned schools beginning with primary and secondary schools. Already, Maryland Primary School, Saint Francis Primary and some schools in the Papa Ajao and Agege areas of the state have been visited by state government officials on physical assessment with a view of improving educational facilities statewide.
The overall plan is to immediately repair and rehabilitate dilapidated school facilities and strengthen the public-school system with both physical infrastructure and modern learning and teaching tools.
The 21st Century economy
Beyond physical infrastructure, the Lagos state government is working behind the scene to make Lagos a 21 Century economy driven by innovation, technology and smart jobs in partnership with the private sector and indigenous telecoms giants to deploy the Lagos Metro broadband ring and the smart city solutions across the entire state will provide internet access to all nooks and crannies of Lagos especially densely populated parts of the state. With this sort of broadband available everywhere, there is hope that a 21st Century economy is possible. In the long run, all of this effort will drive job creation, improve security, and improve quality of Life in Lagos.
According to the Director General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Muda Yusuf, though the state government machinery is not yet fully active there are positive indications already.
Naming of the cabinet members
Within the first 60 days as promised by the governor, the list of cabinet members have also been released and forwarded to the state legislature for screening. The team balanced comprising young technocrats, mature public servants and politicians, a testament to the determination of the governor to move things forward quickly while balancing political interests across the state.
This is the view of Mr. Yususf. He said the governor has already submitted the list of Commissioners who will make up his cabinet to the State House of Assembly, he has already visited Ikorodu, Badagry and Apapa all in an effort to restore the failed roads in those areas, these are all good steps.
“To me, the Badagry road is very strategic because it links Nigeria with other West Africa nations. Imagine a road that holds 80 percent of trade between Nigeria and other West African nations being in good condition.”
Speaking further, Mr. Yusuf said “… his vision is commendable. Road infrastructure is critical to boosting the economy and you know with that road [Badagry road] in good condition other states apart from Lagos will gain and the entire country and even the sub-region will benefit.
The Director General applauded the governor who has mobilised contractors to commence work on the road. This has been done despite the challenges of the rainy season and the difficulty in demolition of shanty structures along the road.
Even though, the administration is just settling down, there are indications that this will not be business as usual, however, the governor still has a lot to do as the rainy season continuously unleashes torrents of flash floods exposing the true state of road infrastructure in Lagos. This will enable the administration sustain the good will it has garnered in the past few months.
