On Thursday Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu celebrates the first anniversary of his second and final tenure in office.
For many Lagosians, the celebration comes with several bags of feelings and emotions; however, the governor has made it clear that election days are over and it’s time for serious business of governance.
Although there are divergent opinions about his performance so far and if he had delivered on his campaign promises.
Many say that Lagos deserves more in terms of infrastructure and policies that would directly positively contribute to improving the condition of the people.
Some Lagosians think that Sanwo-Olu is not doing enough given the resources of the state. But others say the governor has done well in the last year, and therefore, is on the right track towards fulfilling all his campaign promises.
In the last five years, Sanwo-Olu has made giant strides in several sectors; including education, health, infrastructure, agriculture, and housing among others. He has embarked on several projects since assuming office in 2019 and continuing with some of them.
The administration has established several new state universities which open the space for more youths to access tertiary education.
Other projects are the first intra-city rail line which was inaugurated by former president Muhammadu Buhari before leaving office.
The Lagos Blue Line light rail is a 27km long rail and is part of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) system managed by the state transport agency Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA).
The first phase of the Blue Line, a 13km stretch from Marina to Mile 2, was completed in 2023 and subsequently launched and began commercial operations in September 2023.
The China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) built phase 1 and currently operates the rail system, which transported about 583,000 passengers in the first four months of passenger operations between September 4, 2023, and January 4, 2024.
In all, the Lagos Light Rail Blue Line transported over one million passengers in 219 days on 9,322 train rides operated on the corridor.
According to Sanwo-Olu, the rail line goes beyond improving mobility in Lagos, to reshaping the state’s urban landscape and setting a new pace for development. He also disclosed that the second phase of the Blue Line rail, currently under construction by CCECC, is expected to stretch from Mile 2 to Okomaiko.
The Sanwo-Olu-led administration was able to secure funding for the second phase of the Blue Line rail, which was captured in its N1.768 trillion 2023 Budget of Continuity that focuses on completing ongoing infrastructure projects across the state.
Also, the Red Line rail system built by his government had been inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu, another boost for the public transportation system in the state.
The Sanwo-Olu administration within the last year unveiled a new transport policy to further the developmental goals of the state, with key objectives and strategic initiatives in traffic management and transportation for the people of Lagos.
In the health sector, the Sanwo-Olu’s government is building hospitals and other healthcare delivery facilities. The Massey Children’s Hospital on the Island, the Ojo General Hospital, mental health facility, Ketu-Ereyun, among others, are being completed.
