Lagos devt plan positioned to propel Nigeria into $1trn global economy by 2030 – Sanwo-Olu
By Sodiq Adelakun
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has declared that the Lagos State Development Plan 2052 is not merely a local blueprint but a strategic national asset, poised to complement President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ambitious vision of growing Nigeria’s economy to $1 trillion by 2030.
Delivering the keynote address on Tuesday at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs’ (NIIA) First Distinguished Lecture of 2025 in Lagos, titled “Lagos, Nigeria 2030: Projections of a World Power,” Governor Sanwo-Olu described Lagos as fully equipped to drive Nigeria’s emergence as a global power within the next decade.
The lecture, the first by a sitting Lagos Governor, attracted diplomats, scholars, policymakers, and civil society leaders.
According to him, “Our 30-year development plan is anchored on four cardinal pillars: a Thriving Economy, Modern Infrastructure, a Human-Centric City, and Effective Governance.
“It eloquently articulates our ambition to become Africa’s Model Mega City and a Global Economic and Financial Hub that is safe, secure, functional, and productive.”
He emphasised that Lagos, as Nigeria’s commercial capital and subnational economic leader, is strategically positioned to support Tinubu’s trillion-dollar economy target.
“Synergy between national and subnational strategies is critical for sustainable development,” he said, adding that Lagos’ trajectory mirrors national frameworks such as Vision 2010, Vision 20:2020, and the Nigeria Agenda 2050.
Governor Sanwo-Olu also reaffirmed key targets of Tinubu’s national agenda, including ending gas flaring in compliance with the Paris Climate Agreement and generating one-third of electricity from renewable sources.
He offered a multidimensional definition of global power: “Global power combines economic strength, diplomatic and geopolitical clout, technological capacity, cultural and soft power, military and defence strength, demography, and resource abundance.”
Highlighting the city’s role in aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), he said: “2030 brings to mind the SDGs, seventeen pivotal goals meant to transition humanity into a truly just, equitable, and prosperous world.”
In his welcome remarks, NIIA Director-General, Professor Eghosa Osaghae, described the lecture as historic.
“There are very few global powers and Lagos ranks high among them,” he said, citing the city’s population of over 22 million as evidence of its global significance.
He added that Lagos qualifies as Africa’s growth centre and lauded its leadership across civil society, judiciary reforms, and economic sectors.
Prof. Osaghae announced that Governor Sanwo-Olu had accepted to endow a Foreign Policy School at NIIA.
“Very soon, you will be welcome to the H.E. Babajide Sanwo-Olu School of International Affairs,” he declared.