A Critical Assessment of the Lagos Governor Who Has Disappointed His People
Lagos State is Africa most populous city and Nigeria economic heart, generating a larger GDP than many African countries. Its residents are among the most educated, cosmopolitan, and economically active in the continent. They deserve a governor who matches their ambition and addresses the extraordinary challenges of governing a megacity with over 20 million people. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has not been that governor. His tenure has been characterized by missed opportunities, inadequate responses to crises, and a governance style that has prioritized political management over substantive problem-solving.
The list of Lagos governance challenges that have worsened under Sanwo-Olu watch is long and familiar to every Lagosian. Traffic gridlock has reached new extremes, with commuters spending hours daily on journeys that should take minutes. Flooding, which devastates communities with every major rainfall, has not been addressed with the systematic drainage infrastructure investment it requires. Housing costs have soared beyond the reach of the middle class, pushing millions into informal settlements that lack basic services.
The EndSARS Crisis and Its Aftermath
The most defining moment of Sanwo-Olu tenure was his handling of the October 2020 EndSARS protests, which began as a peaceful demonstration against police brutality but escalated into one of the most traumatic episodes in Lagos recent history. The events at the Lekki toll gate on October 20, 2020, in which protesters were shot under circumstances that a state judicial panel subsequently investigated, revealed a governor who was either unable or unwilling to protect peaceful protesters exercising their constitutional rights.
Sanwo-Olu response to the EndSARS crisis, including his initial attempts to distance himself from the events at the toll gate and his subsequent management of the judicial panel process, left many Lagosians feeling that justice had not been served and that accountability for what happened that night had been avoided. The lasting bitterness over the EndSARS events has been one of the defining factors in the deterioration of Sanwo-Olu standing among Lagos young and educated voters.
Infrastructure Promises and Reality
Sanwo-Olu infrastructure record is one of mixed announcements and incomplete deliveries. The Blue Line rail project, which began under the Fashola administration, was partially inaugurated during his tenure amid much fanfare. However, the single operational line covers only a small fraction of Lagos transport needs, and the broader mass transit transformation that Lagos requires has not materialized in any meaningful way under his administration.
Meanwhile, the road network in many parts of Lagos, including arterial roads in Lagos Island and significant sections of the Mainland, deteriorated during his tenure without adequate repair. Residents of many local government areas report road conditions that are among the worst they have experienced in decades, a remarkable failure for a state that generates the highest internal revenue of any sub-national government in Nigeria.
Security Under Sanwo-Olu: A Persistent Failure
Lagos under Sanwo-Olu has seen a significant increase in armed robbery, kidnapping, and gang-related violence in various neighborhoods. The governor has blamed federal security agencies for the insecurity, arguing that policing is a federal responsibility. While this constitutional argument has some validity, it does not absolve state governments of their obligation to use available tools, including the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps, community policing partnerships, and other state-level mechanisms, to improve security in their communities.
The security situation in some Lagos neighborhoods has deteriorated to a point where residents feel unsafe and business activity has been disrupted. The governor response has been inadequate, consisting primarily of press releases announcing security initiatives rather than the sustained, evidence-based security management approach that a city of Lagos size and complexity demands.
Lagos Deserves Better Governance in 2027
Sanwo-Olu is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term, meaning Lagos will have a new governor after the 2027 elections. This is an opportunity for Lagos to break from the governance patterns of the Tinubu political dynasty that has controlled the state since 1999 and choose a governor who is genuinely committed to solving the city enormous problems rather than managing them for political sustainability.
The next Lagos governor will inherit a city in crisis: gridlocked, flooded, unaffordable, and inadequately served by public infrastructure. Solving these problems will require not just competence and resources but a willingness to challenge the political structures and vested interests that have benefited from Lagos dysfunction. Lagos voters in 2027 should demand a governor who has earned their trust through a credible vision and genuine independence from the political machine that has governed the state for more than two decades.
