Why Nigeria’s private sector will support Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat as the next Governor of Lagos State
By Opeyemi Eniola
Lagos, Nigeria’s economic heartbeat and Africa’s most populous megacity, stands at a critical juncture. As Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term winds down, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has coalesced around Deputy Governor Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat as its consensus candidate for the 2027 governorship election.
For Nigeria’s private sector, from multinational corporations and fintech unicorns to local manufacturers, investors, and infrastructure developers, Hamzat represents continuity, competence, and a proven understanding of business realities.
A Private Sector Insider Turned Public Servant
Dr. Hamzat’s appeal to business leaders is rooted in his own extensive private sector pedigree. Born on September 19, 1964, in Lagos, he earned a BSc and MSc in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Ibadan before obtaining a PhD in System Process Engineering from Cranfield University in the UK. He built a distinguished career in the United States and Nigeria, holding senior roles at RTP Consulting Services, the City of New York, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, and Oando Plc, where he served as Chief Information Officer and Group Head of IT Strategy.
This background is not merely decorative. Hamzat entered public service in 2005 as Commissioner for Science and Technology under then-Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu and was retained by Governor Babatunde Fashola. He pioneered Lagos’ digital transformation, implementing 11 modules of Oracle ERP making Lagos the first government institution in Africa to achieve this. His initiatives modernized data systems, introduced biometrics, and virtually eliminated ghost workers, saving public funds and enhancing efficiency.
As Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure later, and subsequently as Special Adviser (Technical) to Fashola at the federal level, Hamzat contributed to landmark projects like the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge (Nigeria’s first cable-stayed bridge) and laid groundwork for broader infrastructure expansion. His track record demonstrates a rare blend of technical expertise, project execution, and fiscal prudence, qualities that resonate deeply with investors wary of policy unpredictability.
Champion of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and investment
Lagos cannot thrive on public funds alone. Hamzat has consistently positioned the private sector at the center of the state’s development strategy. Under the current administration, where he has served as Deputy Governor since 2019 (re-elected in 2023), Lagos has advanced major PPP initiatives, including the Lekki Deep Sea Port, Lekki Free Zone, rail lines (Red and Blue), and the Cleaner Lagos Initiative.
At events like Invest Lagos 3.0, Hamzat has emphasized policy stability through the state’s 2022-2052 development plan, which is designed to transcend administrations. He advocates blended financing, concessional capital, commercial investment, and targeted public funding and joint public-private committees to track outcomes and ensure continuity into future investment summits. This institutional approach reassures long-term investors that commitments will endure.
Business leaders see in Hamzat a leader who understands their language: regulatory efficiency, infrastructure as an enabler of commerce, technology-driven service delivery, and ease of doing business. His vision for “Digital Lagos 2.0” incorporating AI, blockchain, and smart city technologies builds directly on his earlier digital reforms, promising to position Lagos as Africa’s premier tech and innovation hub.
Proven delivery and continuity
Private sector confidence also stems from tangible results under the Sanwo-Olu-Hamzat ticket. Infrastructure projects, transport improvements (including locally built electric ferries under Omi Eko), waste management partnerships, and efforts to ease congestion directly impact business operations and costs. Hamzat’s role in these has been substantive, not ceremonial.
As the longest-serving Deputy Governor by 2027, he offers unmatched institutional knowledge and loyalty to the progressive governance model that has transformed Lagos over two decades. Endorsements from President Tinubu, Governor Sanwo-Olu, the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), and party leaders underscore broad consensus, reducing political risk for investors.
Waste managers and other organized private sector groups have already signaled support, viewing him as a partner for sustainable growth.
Vision for economic prosperity
Hamzat’s outlined priorities align closely with private sector aspirations: creating millions of jobs through MSME support and industrial zones; regulatory reforms to make Lagos the easiest place to do business in Africa; expanded STEM education and skills development via public-private partnerships; universal health coverage with telemedicine; and smart security infrastructure.
In a 2026 interview, he stressed building institutional discipline, attracting institutional investors and development finance institutions, and fostering African ownership of intellectual property in the tech ecosystem themes that thrill entrepreneurs and corporates alike.
A safe pair of hands for Africa’s commercial capital
Nigeria’s private sector has endured policy flip-flops, infrastructure deficits, and uncertainty elsewhere. Lagos, under consistent progressive leadership, has differentiated itself through relative stability, innovation, and investor-friendliness. Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat embodies the next chapter: a technocrat with private sector DNA, proven public delivery, deep roots in Lagos, and a forward-looking agenda anchored in partnership.
For banks, manufacturers, tech firms, real estate developers, logistics operators, and foreign direct investors, supporting Hamzat is not partisan, it is pragmatic. It is a bet on continuity that compounds value, as one recent analysis aptly put it.
As Lagosians prepare for 2027, the message from the boardrooms is clear: Experience, competence, and business acumen matter. Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat checks all the boxes.
Opeyemi Eniola (PhD in view) is the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu on Basic and Secondary Education