Our investments in infrastructure will create enabling environment, 100,000 new jobs —Sanwo-Olu
By Sodiq Adelakun
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has reiterated the government’s commitment to fostering an environment conducive to private sector growth.
He said this during his visit to TVC News’ newly launched digital studios in Eko Atlantic City, Lagos, yesterday.
The governor appeared as the first guest on the station’s Open Studio and participated in their Breakfast Show.
He highlighted the importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors to drive socio-economic development in the state.
Sanwo-Olu emphasised the need for strategic planning to ensure that Lagos continues to thrive as a global destination for business and tourism.
He said: “For us, it’s really not about just the revenue. It’s about the socio-economic development that it will bring about for the citizens. It’s for us to be able to calendarize, and for everybody, when I say everybody, both the local population, the diasporan population, and international audience to be able to plan, predict, and be able to say to themselves, ‘From October, these are the calendarised event activities that will happen in Lagos, Nigeria.’”
The governor noted that this approach would not only benefit Lagos as a cultural and entertainment hub but would also encourage private investment, particularly in sectors such as real estate, hospitality, and tourism.
He stressed that with proper planning, Lagos could replicate the success of global economies driven by tourism, which generate significant revenue during peak seasons.
He further explained, “What you will see, which happens in other parts of the world, is that you can have an economy that would be on for six weeks, and that economy will keep that company for the next 12 months.
“What do I mean? There are parts of the world where, during the summer, they open for three months, for two months, and the sales they make during that time are enough for the next nine months.”
The governor also addressed the need for public infrastructure upgrades, saying that enhancing the city’s security, public transportation, and accommodation capacity will be crucial in ensuring a seamless experience for visitors.
“How well do we now prepare the city for security, for safety, for public transportation? For us to be able to have a seamless movement of people in and out of it,” Sanwo-Olu said.
“When we do all of that, you’ll see more employment—50 to 100,000 new employees—who will have a sustainable means for two, three months, and it will be sufficient to keep them for another six, eight months.”
Also, the governor revealed plans to form committees with the private sector, government agencies, and professionals from key industries, with the goal of developing a comprehensive, calendarized work plan. He noted that the state’s role would be to provide the enabling environment for businesses to thrive.
“Ours is to be an enabler. Ours is to be able to provide the opportunity for the private sector to thrive, to grow, to do their business. We just want to create that enabling environment and push back,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu also spoke on the ongoing national tax reform discussions, providing clarity on Lagos’ stance. He acknowledged that while many governors were initially skeptical about the proposed tax reforms, they had now taken time to understand the potential benefits.
“A lot of my colleagues, rightly so, were not fully aware of the extent of what that reform will be,” Sanwo-Olu explained. “But in the last couple of months, everybody has schooled themselves. Everybody has taken time to understand, to digest, to get expert advice. And I want to clearly state to you, a lot of the governors are now convinced.”
He emphasised that the tax reforms would increase revenue across all tiers of government, fostering fairer distribution and ensuring that the reforms benefit citizens.
