Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has called for renewed African solidarity and self-determination, stressing that the continent’s future must be shaped by Africans themselves.
Speaking through his Deputy, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, on Tuesday, during a courtesy visit by the Regional Governor of Ohangwena Region, Republic of Namibia, Kadiva D. Hamutumwa, held at the Official Residence of the Deputy Governor, Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Sanwo-Olu recalled Nigeria’s role in the early 1980s when students from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, among other African countries were educated by the Nigerian government as part of its commitment to African unity.
His words, “I recall as a young person in the early 1980s when Nigeria hosted students from South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, creating a strong African bond. Our destiny as Africans must be determined by us, not by outsiders, and we must work together, as Europe has done through the European Union.”
Sanwo-Olu expressed concern that such continental bonds are weakening and urged African nations to strengthen cooperation for collective progress, noting that much collaboration from the continent remains vital for economic growth, stability, and development across the continent.
The Governor, therefore, stated that the Lagos State government is ready to work with the Ohangwena Region, Republic of Namibia, in key areas such as infrastructure, transportation, energy, among other areas, to aid development within the region.
While highlighting Lagos State’s efforts to address the challenges of rapid urbanization, he emphasized that the state government has continued to invest in transport infrastructure, agriculture, and healthcare, adding that the state has successfully developed intra-city rail lines, introduced electric ferries to promote cleaner energy, established maternal and child care centers to improve healthcare delivery and urban management to meet the demands of its expanding population
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to innovation and sustainable growth, the Governor noted that his government is also building logistics and industrial hubs to ensure food security and economic resilience within the state.
In her remarks, the Governor of the Ohangwena region, Republic of Namibia, Kadiva D. Hamutumwa, stated that the team is in Lagos to learn and tap from the knowledge of the state, and explore collaboration opportunities to transform Ohangwena into Namibia’s economic hub.
Hamutumwa explained that Lagos’ success in commerce, infrastructure, and innovation presents a valuable model for emerging African regions seeking to drive growth and industrial transformation, adding that the region’s goal over the next five years is to become a commercial hub for northern Namibia by focusing on agriculture, logistics, and industrial expansion, given the region proximity to Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola, and Botswana,
She said, “Our region is well-positioned to serve as a gateway for regional trade within southern Africa, and when I looked at which countries we would collaborate with in order to get learnings and also to tap into the knowledge and the commerce that are within those countries, Nigeria is the first country that I then identified to visit. So the first stop was then is Lagos, as the state is the commercial hub of Nigeria.”
She added that the region is 80 percent rural as well as semi-urban, and the vision is to commercialize the region, to turn it, and develop key industries within the region that will not only be able to serve the region itself but will be able to serve the rest of the country as well as serve the rest of Africa.
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