By Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor of Lagos, posted today on his official social media platforms that he delivered a talk at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics in Boston in the United States of America, where the future of African cities was discussed.
Governor Sanwo-Olu says that the future of urbanization in Africa is already being realized and Lagos is at the centre of this development. According to him, the city is growing rapidly and the government is taking its time to make sure that the growth produces opportunities and makes the lives of the people in the city easier.
He elaborated that this development is being steered by the Lagos State Government through the THEMES+ agenda, and investments have been made in transportation, technology, tourism, security and social inclusion. He cited the expansion of the technology industry, expansion of the Blue and Red rail lines as well as the strength of the young population in the state as indicators of improvement.
The governor also provided some figures that demonstrate the magnitude of economic activity in Lagos. According to him, the state made approximately 821.9 million dollars in internal revenue in the previous year, which comprised approximately 35 percent of the total revenue in Nigeria. He opined that Lagos registered approximately 2.73 billion dollars in capital inflows in the third quarter of 2025 alone.
Governor Sanwo-Olu also observed that Lagos currently boasts over 2,000 startups and in the recent past the city has been rated as the fastest growing technology ecosystem in the world. He further asserted that the statistics are not the actual interest but rather the way the city is heading and the partnerships that are being established to facilitate the growth.
He also noted that the development of Lagos relates well with the growth of the entire Africa and that with the proper investments and partnership the city can go on to grow in a manner that can help all.
