By Sola Ojewusi
In the city where dawn breaks not with birdsong but the roar of ambition,
Where the sun rises over restless tides and even the clouds seem hurried,
There stands a man—measured, mindful, magnificent—
A steward of dreams, a sculptor of destiny, a leader who listens.
He is Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, and today, Lagos sings of his sixty seasons.
A Diamond in the City of Steel
At sixty, most men take a bow. But for Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, sixty is not a sunset—it is a brighter dawn. Born on June 25, 1965, at the threshold of a newly independent Nigeria, Sanwo-Olu has grown in tandem with the story of the nation’s most celebrated city. Lagos—the land of noise and nuance, dreams and dread, chaos and charm—found in him a son who not only understood her pulse but could orchestrate her rhythm.
He is no stranger to the rough symphony of governance. With a gentle smile and a determined heart, he emerged not by accident but by appointment of destiny, climbing the steep hill of public service through roles that refined his resolve—Commissioner, banker, technocrat, visionary. When he assumed office as the 15th Governor of Lagos State in 2019, he carried not just the weight of expectations but the blueprint of greatness.
That blueprint belonged to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the father of modern Lagos, whose urban renaissance laid the groundwork for what Sanwo-Olu now nurtures into full bloom. But this governor has not merely walked in his leader’s path—he has paved new roads, forged new tracks, and lifted the vision higher.
And so, at sixty, we do not just celebrate a man—we celebrate the milestones of a movement, the fulfillment of a promise, the poetry of public purpose.
The THEMES of Transformation
Sanwo-Olu governs with a compass, and that compass is THEMES:
Traffic Management and Transportation, Health and Environment, Education and Technology, Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy, Entertainment and Tourism, Security and Governance.
These are not abstract ambitions. Under his leadership, they have become living, breathing realities—monuments of progress standing tall in the cityscape.
Transportation: A City on the Move
Once upon a time, Lagosians counted the hours lost to traffic as casually as one counts grains of rice. But now, the horizon tells a different tale. The Lagos Blue Line Rail, decades in waiting, finally came to life under Sanwo-Olu’s guidance—gliding like a futuristic serpent from Marina to Mile 2, powered by electricity, sparing the lungs of commuters.
The Red Line, another visionary track, will follow suit, linking Lagosians from Agbado to Oyingbo and beyond, collapsing the tyranny of time and distance. Water transport has been resurrected, jetties rebuilt, and ferry routes mapped like arterial lifelines. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems have expanded, modern terminals unveiled, and pothole-riddled roads replaced with gleaming concrete lanes.
Lagos is moving—and Sanwo-Olu holds the conductor’s baton.
Health and Environment: A Breath of Renewal
A healthy city is a hopeful city. And under Sanwo-Olu, hope breathes clean and clear. The New Massey Street Children’s Hospital, the largest of its kind in West Africa, is a testament to a government that sees the child not just as a patient but as a future.
The COVID-19 pandemic came like a tidal wave, but Sanwo-Olu stood firm, not as a mere politician, but as a general on the frontlines. He addressed Lagosians with calm clarity, made science the cornerstone of response, and ensured transparency in every policy.
Environmental reform has not been cosmetic—it has been systemic. From the Clean Lagos Initiative to renewed energy at LAWMA, Lagos has slowly peeled off its shroud of filth to reclaim its dignity. The skies are clearer. The streets, cleaner. The government, greener.
Education and Technology: Seeds of the Future
In the classrooms of Lagos, something beautiful is stirring. The EKOEXCEL programme has equipped over 13,000 teachers with digital tools, transforming chalk-and-talk into a data-driven, child-centric system. Public school students now learn through tablets, and classrooms echo not just with lessons, but with laughter and curiosity.
Sanwo-Olu’s Lagos is investing not just in education, but in innovation. In Yaba, Africa’s new tech capital, the governor is nurturing a digital economy—from tech hubs and innovation labs to broadband infrastructure and youth bootcamps. Young Lagosians are not waiting for the future; they are coding it.
A 21st Century Economy: Building the Unbuildable
In the crucible of Lagos’ economic revival stand monumental projects like the Lekki Deep Sea Port, the Fourth Mainland Bridge, and the soon-to-launch Lekki-Epe International Airport. These are not pipe dreams; they are gigantic arteries of trade, tourism, and transformation.
The Imota Rice Mill, Africa’s largest, has begun to reimagine food security and local production. Markets have been modernized, artisans supported, and microbusinesses bankrolled through the LSETF (Lagos State Employment Trust Fund)—ensuring that the city’s wealth is not locked in skyscrapers but dispersed across communities.
Lagos, once a city of survival, is now a city of thriving.
Entertainment, Tourism, and Culture: Soul of the City
Lagos is not just a place. It is a performance. And Sanwo-Olu understands that the soul of the city resides in its storytellers, dancers, artists, and dreamers.
He has backed the Lagos State Film Fund, supported festivals like Eko on Show, and revived heritage sites and art centers. The Lagos nightlife, its beaches, museums, and cultural carnivals are now recognized as not just leisure spots but as economic engines. Under his leadership, Lagos doesn’t just grow—it glows.
Security and Governance: Peace in the Pressure
What good is prosperity without protection? Sanwo-Olu’s administration has bolstered the Lagos Neighborhood Safety Corps, deployed thousands of CCTV cameras, and integrated smart policing technologies to preempt crime.
But more than iron fists, his governance has been defined by listening ears. He is present. He is responsive. Whether it is the aftermath of EndSARS, building collapses, floods, or market fires—he shows up, not with excuses, but with empathy and solutions.
The Servant-Leader in the Storm
Leadership is tested not on quiet days, but in the storm. And Lagos, unpredictable and relentless, has thrown many at Sanwo-Olu. Yet he has stood like a lighthouse—calm, composed, courageous.
When the world reeled from the COVID-19 pandemic, he became not just a governor, but a guardian. When floods threatened, he led proactive urban planning. When economic pains peaked, he provided food palliatives, free transportation, tuition waivers, and support to civil servants.
He is not loud. He is not boastful. But his leadership echoes in the lives uplifted and the systems improved.
Sixty Seasons of Grace
At sixty, Sanwo-Olu stands not at the end, but at the summit of maturity—seasoned by experience, softened by empathy, and sharpened by vision. This milestone is not a mere number; it is a mirror reflecting three decades of dedicated service, four years of transformative governance, and a lifetime of purposeful living.
He has shown that public office can be sacred, that progress is possible in Africa, and that legacy is built not by titles, but by toil.
The Legacy Continues
As he celebrates this diamond jubilee, Lagosians look not just to the man but to the meaning of his leadership. A man who followed the footsteps of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, not as a mere replica, but as a worthy inheritor and enhancer of a grand design. Together, they have transformed Lagos from a struggling city to a global contender.
And the work continues.
From Epe to Ikorodu, Lekki to Badagry, a new Lagos is rising—one project at a time, one person at a time.
A Toast to the Trailblazer
Let the city ring the agogo of celebration.
Let the waves of the Atlantic murmur songs of praise.
Let the white cap chiefs of Isale Eko bless his path.
Let schoolchildren draw his face in crayons and chalk.
Let market women whisper prayers for more years.
Let the Fourth Mainland Bridge carry his legacy.
Let the Red and Blue Rail Lines chant his name in steel.
Happy 60th Birthday, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu—Governor of Lagos State, servant of the people, builder of futures, heir of legacy, and a bright flame in Africa’s story. May your next chapters be even more glorious.
Eko a gbe e!
Nigeria salutes you.
History embraces you.
Sola Ojewusi is Publisher and Editor in Chief of The Lagosian Magazine www.thelagosianmagazine.com.ng and Co-Editor of Incident Commander, Essays in Honour Of Governor Sanwo-Olu
NB: Pictures Courtesy of Dayo Adedayo.
