Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has referred to Lagos as a “Yoruba United States”, describing it as a symbol of diversity, unity, and progress that continues to lead Nigeria’s development path.
The governor made this statement on Wednesday during the South-West Citizen-Government Engagement Summit, which took place in Akure, Ondo State.
The event gathered key figures from across the South-West region, including governors, traditional rulers, political leaders, and business stakeholders.
Sanwo-Olu said, “I stand here not only as a humble leader among the South-West governors, but as the governor of the largest population in our country, the economic and commercial nerve centre of Nigeria, the state of aquatic splendour that accommodates every tribe, religion, and race.
Yet, above all, Lagos stands as a Yoruba United States, a state that continues to reinvent itself and set the pace for the nation.”
In a statement shared through his social media pages, the governor urged the South-West to once again take the lead in driving Nigeria’s renewal through unity, collective purpose, and active collaboration among its states and communities.
He commended the creation of the South-West Development Commission, which was initiated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and backed by the National Assembly, describing it as a new opportunity to promote regional growth similar to the achievements of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the former Western Region.
“With the South-West Development Commission, we now have a platform to plan and deliver the kind of regional progress that once defined our region under Chief Awolowo,” Sanwo-Olu stated.
The Lagos governor also praised President Tinubu’s current reform efforts, pointing out that Nigeria is beginning to regain investor confidence and economic stability.
“Under President Tinubu’s leadership, Nigeria is regaining stability and optimism. His reforms are working, the economy is growing, investment is returning, and the future looks brighter,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu mentioned several major infrastructure projects in Lagos expected to benefit from increased investor interest, including the Fourth Mainland Bridge, the Green Line Rail Project, and the Lekki International Airport.
He concluded by reaffirming the South-West’s vital role in Nigeria’s socio-economic revival: “The South-West can, and must, lead Nigeria’s renewal. The spirit of innovation and courage that shaped our past still lives within us today, and together, we will rise to this moment.”
