Sanwo-Olu at 60: What he has done, and what’s coming next

Born June 25, 1965, in Lagos, Sanwo‑Olu earned both a B.Sc. in Surveying & Geo‑Informatics and an MBA from the University of Lagos, then sharpened his skills at Harvard Kennedy School, London Business School, and Lagos Business School.

Sanwo‑Olu is married to Ibijoke Carrena Sanwo‑Olu, a medical doctor and healthcare leader; they have four children. He is remembered for thoughtful responses in crises, from COVID‑19 to public unrest, urging Lagosians to “remain vigilant” and treat public health advisories as vital for safety. He is also candid about balancing life and livelihood: “One of the most important tasks that we face is to carefully balance the competing considerations of life and livelihood”

Before entering politics, Sanwo-Olu spent more than a decade in banking, rising through the ranks at Lead Merchant Bank, UBA, and First Inland Bank, ultimately becoming Deputy General Manager. In 2003, he shifted to public service, advising Deputy Governor Femi Pedro on corporate matters. He later served as Commissioner for Economic Planning & Budget, Commerce & Industry, and Establishments, Training & Pensions. He also led the Lagos State Property Development Corporation.

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Here’s a closer look at his impact:
Elected governor in 2019 and re‑elected in 2023, Sanwo‑Olu has driven a wave of infrastructure.
He oversaw the extensive rehabilitation of the Third Mainland Bridge, reopening in April 2024 after vital structural repairs. He also delivered critical roads and flyovers, including Pen Cinema, Lekki–Oniru corridor and boundary roads, and rehabilitated over 300 internal roads across all LGAs.

According to Businessday, he revived Lagos’ first light rail system in years: the 13 km Blue Line (Marina–Mile 2) opened in September 2023 and carried its first million passengers in under eight months

He launched the Blue and Red rail lines, with the Red Line operational since October 2024, carrying thousands daily. Under his watch, four modern bus terminals (Yaba, Mafoluku, Oyingbo, Ajah) and scores of BRT stations came online. He also expanded ferry services and launched first‑mile transport to reduce dependence on motorcycles.

Homes for Lagosians
With over 3,000 housing units completed, such as Egan‑Igando apartments and model staff housing at schools, Sanwo‑Olu has begun to close the long-standing housing gap.

Food security and agriculture
Inaugurating the Imota Rice Mill, the largest in Africa, he created thousands of jobs and boosted local food production. His Agripreneurship Programme trained more than 12,000 women and youth in value chains.

Read also: Boost for Blue Line rail system as Sanwo-Olu hands over 3 new trains

On health, Sanwo‑Olu’s administration is building and upgrading major facilities: the Massey Street Children’s Hospital, a 500‑bed psychiatric hospital in Ketu‑Ejinrin, a general hospital in Ojo, and multiple mother‑and‑child centres.

BusinessDay earlier reported that the governor strengthened protocols to avoid further spread of COVID-19 as he paid a visit to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport to carry out an assessment of some measures used to screen travellers coming into the country and state (March 17, 2020). He also put measures in place to strictly enforce travel restrictions to further curb the spread. This was in conjunction with healthcare professionals and immigration agencies. According to Sanwo-Olu, it was time to be smart and stand together.

Education reform
He has transformed Lagos classrooms, executing over 1,000 projects. His Eko‑Excel initiative trained 18,000+ teachers and distributed 450,000 e‑learning devices, benefiting over 1,009 schools.

Jobs
Through the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), the governor disbursed more than N1 billion in grants and loans, supported thousands of MSMEs, and sponsored 4,000 graduates with monthly stipends.

Clean Lagos
He invested heavily in waste management, expanding LAWMA’s fleet and launching the Blue Box recycling program. Flood controls and drainage works also formed part of his resilience strategy.

He also renovated cultural landmarks like the John Randle Centre in Onikan, hosted Lagos’s first Afropolis festival, and supported creative entrepreneurs with capacity-building funds. He also launched the Lagos Task Force on Human Trafficking.

To boost security, he donated vehicles and equipment to police and emergency agencies, strengthened emergency centres, and supported the Security Trust Fund.

During his 58th birthday in 2023, the governor summed up his leadership philosophy: “Every decision I make, every policy I implement, and every initiative I undertake is fueled by my dedication to the progress and well‑being of every Lagosian.” He praised Lagos’s resilience: “With residents working with the government, remarkable milestones have been achieved. I am excited for what the future holds. May our state flourish and our unity remain inviolable”

His second term has a clear focus on mega‑projects, bridges, rail, highways, and local government empowerment, underpinned by tech‑based service delivery and citizen‑centric policies. Public-private collaboration is central: “This is a manifestation of the possibilities attainable when the public and private sectors come together to pursue a mutually beneficial goal”, he once said.

Babajide Olusola Sanwo‑Olu spent his tenure transforming the metropolis into a model of urban innovation and inclusivity. His leadership spans infrastructure, housing, health, education, security, entrepreneurship, agriculture, the environment, transportation, social welfare, culture, and governance.