The Chairman of the South-West Governor’s Forum and the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday charged the South-West region to light the path for Nigeria’s rebirth by deepening collaboration across the states, sectors and communities.
Governor Sanwo-Olu spoke on Wednesday during the South-West Citizen–Government Engagement Summit held in Akure, Ondo State. The theme of the summit was “Strengthening Democracy Through Dialogue: Assessing Progress, Charting the Future.”
The Governor charged stakeholders at the summit, which included serving and former political leaders and traditional rulers, ethnic and religious leaders, as well as civil society organisations, women and youths’ leaders, to work in harmony and deploy their assets toward a shared regional agenda that delivers inclusive growth for every citizen.
He said, “We are gathered not merely to reflect on our journey but to reimagine our destiny—a South-West that once again sets the pace for Nigeria’s development and becomes the standard for others to emulate.
“The establishment of the South-West Development Commission (SWDC) by President Tinubu, with the backing of the National Assembly, is another bold affirmation of our collective destiny. It provides us with an institutional platform to plan, integrate, and deliver the kind of regional transformation that defined the old Western Region under Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
“Let us rally around this new Commission, not in rhetoric but in action. As the great sage, Obafemi Awolowo reminded us, ‘It is not life that matters, but the courage you bring into it.’ Now is the time to summon that courage once again — to reclaim our heritage of innovation, education, and good governance.
“We must deepen collaboration — across states, across sectors, and across communities. Diversity has always been our strength; harmony has always been our advantage. Let us deploy these assets toward a shared regional agenda that delivers inclusive growth for every citizen.
“We must institutionalise peer learning among our state governments — sharing insights, replicating success stories, and jointly pursuing regional infrastructure that binds us together rather than keeping us apart.
“The South-West has always been a land of firsts—in education, in broadcasting, in urban planning, and in governance. The question before us today is simple: Can we, once again, light the path for Nigeria’s rebirth? I say yes, we can, because the spirit of innovation and unity that defined our past still lives in us. Let us not waste this season of extraordinary opportunity.”
Governor Sanwo-Olu while commending President Bola Tinubu for taking bold steps in transforming the country, said Nigeria under the incumbent administration is being reshaped into a land of renewed confidence, investment, and prosperity.
He said, “Under the transformative leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, Nigeria is being reshaped into a land of renewed confidence, investment, and prosperity. The results speak for themselves: a more stable currency, a unified exchange rate, growing exports, surging revenues, and renewed investor optimism. These are not abstract numbers; they are the visible footprints of the Renewed Hope vision — a testament to what resolute leadership can achieve.
“The reforms did not start out easily, as we can all attest to. But the President, more than anyone else, was confident that the temporary pain would be followed by permanent benefits. And time has surely vindicated him and reaffirmed that Nigerians made the best and most beneficial electoral choice in 2023—which we must consolidate upon in 2027!”
Governor Sanwo-Olu stressed further that “For states like Lagos that have several investment-worthy initiatives cutting across infrastructure, transportation, agriculture, the digital and creative economy, the blue economy, tourism and entertainment, and many more, this is very good news. President Tinubu’s leadership continues to teach us that boldness and consistency are the twin engines of national renewal.
“We are now more confident than ever that our landmark public-private partnership (PPP) investment projects, like the 4th Mainland Bridge, the Lagos Green Line, the Lekki International Airport and others, will now be able to attract more investors and partners, given the macroeconomic stability that Nigeria is enjoying.
“Also, for us in Lagos, we are very well positioned to benefit from Nigeria’s emergence as an export powerhouse, given that Lagos is home to three of Nigeria’s busiest ports. Increased port activity will create more jobs and generate more revenues and taxes. Lagos State first benefited from the President’s foresight when he was Governor a quarter of a century ago and is again benefiting from that remarkable foresight now that he is President.”
