IBRAHIM QUADRI
President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday inaugurated key infrastructure projects in Lagos, as part of efforts to improve connectivity and boost economic activities in the state.
The President, who was represented by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, commissioned the Ojota-Opebi Link Bridge, Lagos State Geographical Information System (LAGIS) Building and Lagos State Multi-Agency Building.
The President urged all other state governments to emulate Lagos State, saying the standard should be replicated across the country.
The event drew several dignitaries, including State Governors Dapo Abiodun, Ogun, Douye Diri, Bayelsa, Hope Uzodinma, Imo and Babagana Zulum, Borno.
Accompanied by the host governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Akpabio arrived at the project site at about 1:25 pm and drove through the newly completed road as a symbolic gesture marking its official opening.
Speaking on behalf of the President, Akpabio said the 5.04-kilometre Ojota-Opebi Link Bridge is expected to significantly ease traffic congestion, reduce travel time for commuters within the Ikeja axis and its environs as well as enhance economic productivity of the State.
He added that the Multi-Agency Building in Alausa would strengthen inter-agency collaboration and improve public service delivery, while the Lagos State Geographic Information Service (LAGIS) facility would modernise land administration and geospatial data management in the state.
Meanwhile, Tinubu is scheduled to inaugurate additional projects, including the Tolu Schools Complex comprising 36 schools and a mini football pitch, 19 football pitches at Maracana in Ajegunle, and the Fresh Food Industrial Hub in Abijo, Ibeju-Lekki.
The series of inaugurations underscores ongoing efforts by the Lagos State Government to expand infrastructure and improve living standards across the state.
Tinubu noted that the projects are symbols of purpose that reflect a government that understands that development must be seen, must be felt and must be experienced by the people they govern.
Tinubu said, “As President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, I thank the Lagos State Government headed by Governor Sanwo-Olu and assisted by his wife, the Deputy Governor and all members of the Executive Council and the State House Assembly for the honour of naming the administrative complex after me. I accept this honour with humility.
“But let me be clear. This achievement is about more than one man. It is about a system that is working. It is about a public service that continues to deliver the dividends of democracy to all Nigerians because Lagos is home to all Nigerians. This complex is an investment in efficiency, coordination and better service delivery.
He added, “It strengthens the government so that government can better serve the people. The Lagos Information Service Centre, the building itself, represents the future. We live in a world where data drives development, where transparency builds trust and where clear systems attract investment.
“A modern land administration system is not optional. It is essential, it reduces uncertainty, it strengthens planning and it unlocks all economic values. This is how serious societies grow.
“These projects align with our national vision. A Nigeria that is modern, digitally enabled and economically strong. This is the standard we must replicate across the country from Governor Sanwo-Olu and his administration.
“So let me assure Nigerians that our administration remains committed to investing in infrastructure, strengthening governance and expanding opportunities for all. To the people of Lagos, I say this. These projects are for you. They are investments in your future. Use them well. Protect them and build on them.
Speaking earlier, Sanwo-Olu said, “From the early days of your administration as Governor of Lagos State, you understood something that many had not yet grasped: that governance, at its most effective, is an act of building — building institutions, building systems, and creating the conditions under which a people can build and develop themselves.
“When others saw a sprawling, chaotic megacity, you saw potential. When others counted problems, you counted possibilities. The Lagos you left behind was structurally different from the Lagos you inherited — and it is that transformed Lagos that we, your successors, have continued to build upon.
“It is therefore always with a great sense of pride that we host Your Excellency at these project commissioning events – for us it is a chance to practically demonstrate how your leadership and legacy continues to shape the present and the future of Africa’s most consequential megacity.
“Today is one of such presidential commissioning days – and a moment we will cherish for a long time to come, for many reasons; one of which has to do with what projects being commissioned represent in the daily lives of our people and in the evolving narrative of Lagos State.”
“And then, on top of this, we have enjoyed and continue to enjoy your commitment to the transformation of federal infrastructure in Lagos, from the emerging Coastal Road to the massive upgrades that are in progress on the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and the Apapa and Tincan Island Ports.
“Let me say this here, publicly, on behalf of the government and people of Lagos State, that we very much look forward to one or more additional presidential commissioning visits from you to our dear State, to inaugurate new projects – both State and federal – over the next 13 months, even as you prepare to serve Nigeria for a second term, and to continue your agenda of reform, rebirth, and renewal.”
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