By Ayomide Otitoju
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has expressed confidence that Nigeria will overcome its current security challenges and other developmental hurdles through unity and a homegrown approach to governance reforms.
Speaking on Tuesday at a one-day lecture marking Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary, organised by the Arewa Think Tank at Arewa House, Kaduna, the Governor urged Nigerians to embrace local solutions to issues such as state policing, local government autonomy, and infrastructure development. The event, themed “65 Years of Nigeria’s Independence: The Journey So Far with the Renewed Hope Agenda in View,” was chaired by former Senate President and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim Pius, and attended by several former governors, ministers, and traditional leaders.
As Guest Speaker, Sanwo-Olu called on public officials to build on the legacies of Nigeria’s founding fathers, including Sir Ahmadu Bello and Chief Obafemi Awolowo, by learning from their successes and shortcomings. “Politics and public service are not about perfection but about improving and leaving behind a better country,” he said.
The Governor reiterated his call for national unity amid current economic and security challenges, dismissing claims of religious persecution as unrepresentative of Nigeria’s reality. “Nigeria is a proudly multiethnic and multireligious country. What binds us together outweighs what divides us,” he said, assuring that the nation would defeat poverty, hunger, and terrorism under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership.
Highlighting President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Sanwo-Olu said the administration’s reforms—including subsidy removal, exchange rate unification, and tax reforms—represent a “hard reset” aimed at driving sustainable growth and efficiency. He noted that the fiscal and structural reforms have increased revenue flows to subnational governments, enabling them to deliver more impact at the grassroots.
“The President is a unifier and reformer, committed to true federalism and equity,” Sanwo-Olu stated. “His policies empower states and local governments to play greater roles in national development.”
He also commended Tinubu’s push for state policing, describing it as a transformative step toward strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture. “When the President sets out to achieve fundamental reform, he does so with conviction and collaboration,” the Governor added.
Sanwo-Olu concluded by reaffirming his belief that Nigeria’s challenges are surmountable through unity, resilience, and visionary leadership guided by the Renewed Hope Agenda.
