Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu: Situation Commander-In-Chief Of Africa’s Largest Commercial Centre

Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, BOS Of Lagos:

It has been a really tough time for the Nigerian government in the last few days. The Nigerian government has come under intense fire over the country’s most worst economic crisis in a generation. After weeks of mobilisation, Nigerians, mostly young people, poured onto the streets and shut down commercial activities in major Nigerian cities. As expected, Lagos, the country’s most vibrant city, featured prominently in the protest tagged “End Bad Government.”. While the Federal Government is yet to figure out how to calm the protesters and return normalcy to the country. One of the few shining lights in the Nigerian political landscape, Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, aka BOS of Lagos, has been on top of the situation in Lagos. And so far, the protest has been largely peaceful in Governor Sanwo-Olu’s Lagos. Amid the growing mediocrity among the political class in Nigeria, Governor Sanwo-Olu appears to be a sliver lining. Now in his second term, the hard-working governor of Lagos, Sanwo-Olu, has carved a niche for himself as a servant leader.

In the words of Chan Master Fuchan Yuan, “there are three essentials to leadership: humility, clarity, and courage.” Governor Sanwo-Olu is gifted with the above three essentials, particularly courage. According to reports, Lagos State is the seventh largest economy in Africa, with an economy almost equivalent to that of Kenya. It takes some courage to run a State like Lagos. It’s not a job for the fainthearted. But Governor Sanwo-Olu has carried on with the tough job calmly and with so much finesse.

Best known for his bright personality, Governor Sanwo-Olu has transformed Lagos into a truly smart city. Apart from consolidating on the gains recorded by his predecessors, Governor Sanwo-Olu has raised the governance bar in the centre of excellence with infrastructure, including a world-class metro rail network. It’s hard to fault Governor Sanwo-Olu when it comes to infrastructure and purposeful leadership.

Governor Sanwo-Olu’s biggest strength is his crisis management skills. He displayed this rare quality during the tragic events of the EndSARS protest in 2020. The EndSARS protest was one of the most troubling times of Governor Sanwo-Olu’s administration. Enemies of Lagos took advantage of the EndSARS protest and unleashed mayhem on Lagos. According to reports, the total cost of the infrastructure destroyed was estimated to be in the region of N700 billion. That’s enough to crumble many states in Nigeria economically. But guess what? Governor Sanwo-Olu, like David in the Bible, encouraged himself in the Lord, wiped his tears, and championed the rebuilding Lagos project. As you read, Lagos is ranked as the 19th best city to live in the world according to Timeout Magazine. Leading from the front, Governor Sanwo-Olu has shown repeatedly that he is up to the task of taking Lagos to the next level.

In addition, Governor Sanwo-Olu has lived up to our expectations amid the economic crisis rocking the administration of President Bola Tinubu. As part of initiatives to help Lagosians cope with the effects of President Tinubu’s economic reforms, Governor Sanwo-Olu launched EKOCARES. The governor introduced discount markets, reduced transport costs, provided free medical care, and increased bursaries and scholarships for Lagos students. Not only that, Governor Sanwo-Olu also provided soup kitchens for the poor and paid Lagos workers above the national minimum wage. In fairness to BOS, he has shown empathy and genuine concern for the welfare of Lagosians during this period of national despair. Again, when the EndBadGovernance protest erupted, Governor Sanwo-Olu didn’t disappoint. He prevented the reoccurrence of the tragic EndSARS destruction of Lagos. Apart from engaging the stakeholders in the state, Governor Sanwo-Olu also employed the use of dialogue and genuine engagement with residents to ensure the safety of lives and properties. So far, Governor Sanwo-Olu’s Lagos is peaceful thanks to his inspiring leadership and genuine passion for humanity.

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