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Tag: Sanwo-Olu

  • Akiolu to Sanwo-Olu: beware of sycophants

    •’No room for PDP in Lagos’

    The Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, yesterday said there is no room for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State.

    He said the opposition should not expect votes from Lagos and other states because there is no vacancy at the Government House in Ikeja, the state capital, and Aso Rock Villa in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

    The monarch spoke yesterday on the importance of next year’s polls when the state All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, visited him and his senior chiefs at his Iduganran palace in Lagos.

    Sanwo-Olu, a former Commissioner for Establishment, Training and Pensions, who stormed the palace at 10 a.m, was accompanied by his Campaign Manager Tayo Ayinde, National Communication Commission (NCC) Director Sunday Dare, House of Representatives member Prince Rotimi Agunsoye, former Special Adviser on Rural Development Mr Sesan Olanrewaju, APC Women Leader Jumoke Okoya-Thomas, former Mosan Okunola Local Council Development Area (LCDA) Chairman Abiodun Mafe and veteran journalist Bayo Osiyemi.

    The APC candidate was officially introduced to Oba Akiolu and his chiefs by a chieftain and former Minister of State for Defence, Chief Demola Seriki.

    After the monarch offered his words of advice to him and the campaign team, a chief, Opemilua Ajose, offered Sanwo-Olu traditional prayers.

    At the palace were former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro; Gubernatorial Advisory Council (GAC) member Alhaji Mutiu Aare; former Sports Commissioner Segun Dawodu, Nosiru Musa; Sesan Daini; House of Assembly member Sola Giwa and House of Representatives candidate and son of the royal father, Prince Kayode Akiolu.

    Ajose prayed that God, who ensured the success of former Governors Lateef Jakande and Bola Tinubu, will also ensure Sanwo-Olu’s success as governor.

    Reflecting on the primary that produced the candidate, he said: “Let the aggrieved know that they have benefitted from Tinubu’s leadership. It is now the turn of Sanwo-Olu.”

    Read also: Tinubu, Gbajabiamila, Akiolu grace Muniru Muse Cup finals

    Oba Akiolu invoked the spirits of his illustrious predecessors, including Oba Ado, Akinsemoyin, Ologunkutere, Idewu Ojulari, Kosoko Morohunfolu, Akintoye, Dosunmu, Oyekan, Falolu, Esugbay, and Adeniji Adele as he prayed for the APC flag bearer.

    The monarch predicted success for him at the poll, saying the PDP will not rule Lagos State.

    He said: “The PDP will not rule Lagos because of what they have done to us. I saw Olusegun Obasanjo in Ota and I spoke my mind. They will not even win at the centre… APC government will continue in Lagos and Abuja.”

    Turning to Obanikoro, the monarch applauded his return to the progressives fold.

    He recalled telling the senator’s mother to advise him to retrace his steps from the PDP.

    Oba Akiolu, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), said having spent 32 years in the police, he was not afraid to speak the truth to power.

    The monarch described Sanwo-Olu as a good man, adding that he was close to the palace as a politician and public office.

    He also recalled that Agunsoye performed well as Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

    Oba Akiolu said Sanwo-Olu is surrounded by sycophants who are interested in politics of gains instead of contribution.

    He advised the candidate to avoid any quarrel with Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, stressing that the candidate should not repay good with evil.

    He said: “Anybody who will sabotage you will perish. (Facing the gathering) I have spoken with Sanwo-Olu and I will still speak to him. You can’t be Oba of Lagos and be a hypocrite. I should not hear any quarrel between you and Ambode. Many people are following you. Many are looking for what to eat.

    “Ambode was not sensitive. Sanwo-Olu, you will triumph. They said I was collecting N50 million monthly from Ambode. There is nothing like that. They are gossips. Don’t repay good with evil. Politicians don’t fight. They only disagree. They don’t have shame.

    “The elders of Lagos are behind you, Jide Sanwo-Olu. Be truthful. If you look at your back, you will see God. You will see me; you will see my chiefs; you will see Ambode.”

     

  • Arewa community backs APC, Sanwo-Olu

    Arewa Community in Lagos State has expressed it’s support for the All Progressive Congress (APC) in next year’s elections.

    It leader, Alhaji Dandama Yabo, disclosed this during a media chat at his office in Ketu, Lagos suburb.

    He said the community has been supporting APC leaders, including  Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Babatunde Raji Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode.

    He noted that the group has embraced the APC governorship candidate, babajide Sanwo-Olu.

    Yabo said: “We do not have any other party apart from the APC. We did massive campaigns and rallies in different places during the time of Asiwaju and we did it for free. When  Fashola came, we did the same and we ensured that he was voted as governor. Also, when Ambode came, the whole Arewa community gathered together and we gave our full support.

    “Now that it is Sanwo-Olu, we will not relent. We will do as we have always done and our support is guaranteed.”

    Yabo said he has already begun consultations with various Arewa groups in Lagos State to ensure massive support for Sanwo-Olu.

    He added: “We Arewa of Lagos state will support APC. APC is taking governorship and presidency in 2019.

     

  • Sanwo-Olu’s positives

    When governorship campaigns begin across the country on December 1, some campaigns will attract greater attention than others, and some governorship candidates will be more magnetic than others. In Lagos State, the country’s former capital and “arguably the most economically important state,” the frontrunner is Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Ahead of the primary that Sanwo-Olu won to become APC governorship candidate, a pillar of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, painted a portrait of him:  ”I am encouraged by the emergence of a candidate in this primary who has served the state in senior positions in my administration, the Fashola administration and even in the current one. While possessing a wealth of experience and exposure, he is a young man endowed with superlative vision and commitment. Most importantly, he understands the importance of the blueprint for development. He esteems it as a reliable and well-conceived vehicle for the future development of the state. He also knows the value of reaching out and working with others in order to maximise development and provide people the best leadership possible.”

    This testimonial was decisive in the primary. It may well be decisive in the governorship election. Victory for 53-year-old Sanwo-Olu means he would be in a position to implement a master plan that has served the state well enough since Tinubu’s two-term tenure as governor from 1999 to 2007.

    Tinubu had shed light on the pivotal blueprint on the eve of the primary: “Roughly 20 years ago, a corps of dedicated and patriotic Lagosians, put aside personal interests and rivalries, to put their minds and best ideas together for the good of the state. Out of this collaborative effort, was born a master plan for economic development that would improve the daily lives of our people. Bestowed on me was the honour of a lifetime when I was elected to be your governor in 1999. My administration faithfully implemented that plan. The government of my immediate successor, Tunde Fashola, also honoured this enlightened plan. Where state government remained true to that blueprint, positive things happened. During my tenure and Governor Fashola’s, Lagos State recorded improvements in all aspects of our collective existence, from public health to public sanitation, from education to social services, from the administration of justice to the cleaning of storm and sewage drains. Businesses, large and small, invested, hired millions of workers and thrived.”

    Tinubu provided an insight into the defining principles of the master plan: “All Lagosians were to fully participate and justly benefit from the social dividends and improvements wrought by this plan. From the common labourer, to business leaders, to professionals and our industrious civil service. We all were to be partners in a monumental but joint enterprise. None was to be alienated. None was to be left out. And none were to be pushed aside. This is especially true for those who contributed so much to our development, whether as a business leader who has invested heavily in Lagos, the homeowner who struggles to pay his fair share of taxes or as someone employed in the hard work of keeping our streets and byways clean so that others may go about their daily tasks unimpeded.”

    To Tinubu’s credit, he had remarked realistically, “I make no pretence that the master plan is perfect. It can always be fine-tuned.”  Sanwo-Olu would be faced with the challenge of following the plan and fine-tuning it.

    It is noteworthy that in 2017 Lagos was listed among the world’s 100 Resilient Cities (100RC).  A project of the U.S.-based Rockefeller Foundation, the 100 Resilient Cities include places in Africa, U.S.A., South America, Europe, Asia and Middle East.  According to a  report: “President of 100 Resilient Cities, Mr. Michael Berkowitz, said out of the over 1,000 applications received and three rounds of selection process, Lagos was chosen for its innovative leadership, infrastructural strides and influential status not just in Africa but in the world.” The project has its definition of urban resilience, which provided a context for the listing of Lagos:  ”Resilience is about surviving and thriving, regardless of the challenge.”

    To what degree was this recognition ascribable to implementation of the master plan Tinubu highlighted?  Outgoing Governor Akinwunmi Ambode acknowledged the value of the master plan:  ”I have been lucky to be administering over a state that has been put on the right track by my two predecessors, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN).”

    Lagos was in 2015 listed 12th among the world’s largest 35 cities. With over 23 million people, the city has to grapple with mega challenges.  On account of its mega status, Lagos State is exposed to “chronic stresses” and “acute shocks.”  ”Chronic stresses,” which are said to “weaken the fabric of a city on a day-to-day or cyclical basis,” include “high unemployment, inefficient public transportation systems, endemic violence, and chronic food and water shortages.”   “Acute shocks,” which are described as “sudden, sharp events that threaten a city,” include “earthquakes, floods, disease outbreaks, and terrorist attacks.”

    A list of resilience challenges facing Lagos: Chronic Energy Shortages, Coastal Flooding, Disease Outbreak, Infrastructure Failure, Overpopulation, Overtaxed/ Under Developed/Unreliable Transportation System, Poor Transportation System, Rainfall Flooding, Rising Sea Level and Coastal Erosion.

    If resilience is elasticity to manage change, Sanwo-Olu’s trajectory suggests that he has the capacity. A university-trained surveyor, he held senior positions in banking before he switched to the public service following his appointment as a special adviser on corporate matters to a former deputy governor of the state.

    He has been acting Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, and Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions. He was Managing Director/CEO of the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC) before he won the APC governorship primary.

    Sanwo-Olu’s experience means he is well equipped to govern Lagos State. In addition to his insight into what it takes to govern the state, Sanwo-Olu has the quality of believability.  When Governor Ambode opened a lecture theatre at the Lagos State University on November 22,  he was quoted as saying:  ”I am so excited about the fact that Mr. Sanwo-Olu has actually come out here and he has issued a promissory note and what that means is that we are going to have a government of continuity.” This was another testimony to Sanwo-Olu’s progressive candidacy.

    It is expected that Sanwo-Olu’s positives will give him victory in the governorship election on March 2, 2019.

  • Sanwo-Olu: my administration will represent all groups

    Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said his administration will represent the interest of all ethnic groups, if elected.

    He promised that his administration would work with all ethnic nationalities in Lagos State for peace and socio-economic development.

    The governorship candidate said his aim for seeking to govern the state is to redefine the development and bring innovative solutions to address contemporary challenges facing the state.

    The APC standard bearer said his programmes were developed to fight poverty and promote economic prosperity through equal opportunity in commerce and investments.

    Sanwo-Olu spoke yesterday during his consultative meeting with members of Arewa community in Lagos.

    The Deputy Chairman of Arewa Community in Lagos, who is also the Sarkin (head) Fulani of Lagos, Alhaji Mohammadu Bambando, led his chiefs to receive the APC candidate and his entourage, comprising his Director-General, Mr Tayo Ayinde, at his palace in Surulere.

    Sanwo-Olu, who grew up in Surulere, described the event as a “homecoming”, adding that the consultative meeting was necessary for his campaign team to take his programmes to the grassroots.

    Describing the Arewa community as a strong stakeholder in the Lagos project, the APC candidate praised the Hausa-Fulani leadership for strengthening peace and socio-economic development in the state.

    He said: “We are paying homage to the Hausa-Fulani members in Lagos because we consider Arewa group as a strong stakeholder in the development of Lagos. This is our Lagos and we are reaching out because we believe every ethnic group is a stakeholder.

    “We are also here to formally tell you our programmes, which are developed to tackle poverty and promote socio-economic development. We are on a journey to take Lagos to greater heights in every area. This meeting is important to us in spreading our programmes to the grassroots.”

    Sanwo-Olu promised that if elected, his administration would complete the Alaba-Rago Road and offer jobs to Hausa-Fulani youths in the state.

    Bambando said the Hausa-Fulani residents believe in the Lagos project but said members of the Arewa community had been marginalised in the state’s affairs.

  • NANS declares support for Sanwo-Olu

    The Lagos State chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Students(NANS) has declared support for the governorship candidate of All Progressive Congress (APC), Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, citing his performance in public service as reason for the endorsement.

    Hundreds of students and their unions’ leaders from the 10 higher institutions in the state gathered at Maryland Comprehensive Secondary in Onigbongo LCDA for a walk, to mark the International Students’ Day, an annual event scheduled for November 17 of every year by the United Nations (UN).

    From Maryland, the students headed on foot to the Sanwo-Olu Campaign Organisation office at GRA Ikeja, in a procession led by the outgoing chairman of the association, Moses Adewale and the incoming chairman, Qoyum Busari.

    They were received by chieftains of the party led by Director of Monitoring, Babajide Sanwo-Olu Independent Campaign Group, Abiodun Mafe.

    According to the student leader, Adewale, “We, as students have more than a passing interest in 2019 election, particularly as regards Lagos State. As progressives, we want square peg in square hole and have weighed each party governorship candidate in the balance. We came to the conclusion that the best man for the job is the candidate of the All Progressive Congress, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, given his impressive scholarship and experience in public service.”

    If elected, Adewale charged Sanwo-Olu to constitute a Student Affairs Committee, that would be saddled with the responsibility of liaising between his government and students, adding that this would foster healthy relationship between them.

    Responding, Mafe said the APC governorship candidate is committed to the welfare and building capacity of youths of Lagos State.

  • 128 groups back Sanwo-Olu for governor

    •APC candidate: I will protect interest of all

    One hundred and twenty-eight  elite, artisan and peasant groups yesterday endorsed the Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for next year’s election.

    The groups, which cut across the 57 councils, are made up of elite, professionals, artisans, peasants, community development associations, religious leaders, youths and women.

    Sanwo-Olu promised to be governor of all Lagosians, adding that his administration will foster equity, fair play and justice in the Centre of Excellence.

    Thanking the groups for the endorsement, he promised to consult them for inputs into decision-making and feedbacks on the implementation of policies and programmes.

    At a carnival-like meeting  with stakeholders at the Blue Roof, Lagos Television, Agidingbi, Ikeja, representatives of the groups also listed their demands before the flag bearer and his running mate, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat.

    They urged them to strive to meet them, if elected.

    Traditional worshippers, who complained about marginalisation, urged Sanwo-Olu to declare every August 20 as “Isese Day,” if elected.

    Also, the All Farmers Association said it looked forward to an administration that will encourage farmers through necessary incentives.

    At the meeting, coordinators and secretaries of the campaign structures for 57 councils were inaugurated, following their constitution by the Director of Mobilisation of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu Independent Campaign Orgamisation, Alhaji Abdullahi Enilobobo.

    Enilolobo’s committee had stormed the venue with a medical mission at 8 a.m. Many people were screened for various ailments, including high blood pressure, diabetics, malaria and typhoid by a team of medical personnel.

    Although various musicians, actors, actresses and community leaders took turns to endorse Sanwo-Olu, a member of the campaign team, Sesan Daini, noted that the meeting was not a rally.

    According to him, the ban on governorship campaigns has not been lifted by the electoral umpire.

    The representatives of the groups were received by Hamzat, APC Chairman Tunde Balogun, Sanwo-Olu’s Campaign Manager Tayo Ayinde, his deputy, Cardinal James Odunmbaku, former Lagos State Deputy Governor Olufemi Pedro, APC Women Leader Mrs. Kemi Nelson,  Mrs. Toun Adediran, Otunba Lekan Osifeso and Abiodun Mafe.

    Welcoming the crowd, Enilolobo said : “Through your support, we will deliver five million votes to the APC in Lagos.”

    Ayinde thanked the orgaisations for supporting Sanwo-Olu’s cause, assuring that he will protect their interests.

    Urging the coordinators and secretaries to gird their loins, he said there is a huge task ahead of them during the elections.

    Ayince said: “A big task is  ahead of the coordinators. But  I know you are up to the task. You are seasoned politicians at the grassroots. The task is not a child’s play. We believe you will leave no stone unturned to achieve success.”

    The representative of Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede, leader of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Sunday Yusuf, said: “We are behind Sanwo-Olu. He is the solution to Lagos problems.”

    The Chairman of the Community Development Associations, Baba-Oja Tajudeen Adeniyi said: “We will mobilise Lagosians to deliver five million votes for Sanwo-Olu.

    All the CDAs are behind Sanwo-Olu. Lagos is the largest state in Nigeria. We must prove it in next election. I urge religious leaders to mobilise their congregation for the progress of Lagos State.”

     

     

  • Sanwo-Olu: I will focus on the poor

    Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said that he is prepared for the huge task ahead, if elected in next year’s election.

    He promised to preside over “creative and productive government,” which will attach value to technological advancement for the promotion of good governance.

    He promised “a government of inclusion”, adding that his administration will give succour to the poorest of the poor.

    Sanwo-Olu told reporters that his experience as a private sector operator, former special adviser and commissioner, and head of an important corporation in the state have prepared him for the job of governor in the Centre of Excellence.

    He said having been part of governance since 2002, he is conversant with the challenges confronting the city state.

    He said Lagos under the leadership of himself and his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, will witness progress, adding that he will build on the achievement of his progressive successors.

    Read also: Sanwo-Olu won’t abandon ongoing projects, says Ambode

    Sanwo-Olu told the story of his life, spanning his days at the University of Lagos, Akoka (UNILAG), where he studied Surveying, to his career as a surveyor with a thriving company handling some contracts in the Niger Delta, Maiduguri, Bugarg, Mongonu, and other parts of the Northeast.

    He recalled his rise from the ashes of a crash business, saying that the lesson he learnt was that the success of a man is how far he can rise after each fall.

    The flagbearer recalled his memorable years in Kerry Micheal and Company, and later, at the Lead Merchant Bank, where he was the treasurer.

    Sanwo-Olu also spoke on his illustrious career at the United Bank for Africa (UBA), where he worked with high flyers as head of foreign money market.

    He said his corporate experience heralded his involement in governance in Lagos State when his boss, Otunba Femi Pedro, invited him to join him in the office of deputy governor. Sanwo-Olu said the experience he gained as Special Adviser on Corporate Matters, Acting Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Commissioner for Commerce and Industry and Commissioner for Establishment, Training and Pensions were invaluable.

     

     

  • Sanwo-Olu won’t abandon ongoing projects, says Ambode

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has assured that the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in next year’s general elections, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, will not abandon ongoing projects.

    He said Sanwo-Olu would complete and build on the enduring legacies his administration had put in place.

    Ambode, who spoke yesterday while inaugurating an ultra-modern lecture theatre donated to the Lagos State University (LASU) by businessman and philanthropist, Mr Remi Makanjuola, stressed that while efforts were on to complete major projects initiated by his administration, Sanwo-Olu would complete those he is unable to deliver before the expiration of his tenure next year.

    He said: “I am so excited about the fact that Mr Sanwo-Olu has actually come out here and he has issued a promissory note. What that means is that we are going to have a government of continuity.

    “For whatever structures that we have in LASU right now – and I’m going to also convince our chief negotiator, Dr Wale Babalakin – we are already doing the Senate building here; we are doing Students’ Arcade. We are also doing the Library. I hope I will be able to complete and finish them. But if I am unable to complete them, I speak on behalf of Mr Sanwo-Olu that he will finish and do the Staff School.

    “We are not campaigning yet, but truly, that is the spirit of the kind of governance we bring to Lagos; that is the spirit we really want to see. Then, we should be able to show leadership in all spheres of life that we find ourselves.” On his administration’s intervention in the Educational sector, Ambode recalled that in the last three and a half years, at least N15 billion had been invested in revamping infrastructure in schools across the state to ensure that students can learn in a conducive environment.

    The governor also said 3,400 primary and secondary teachers were employed to improve the teacher-to-student ratio as well as quality of learning in schools.

    He added that beyond the upgrade of infrastructure, his administration developed innovative solutions to bridge the gaps in education system to position Lagos State for a technology-driven future, including the ReadySetWork and CodeLagos initiatives.

    According to him, while 34,000 students have graduated from the former, the latter is geared towards teaching one million Lagos residents to code.

    Ambode said: “At the grassroots level, faced with the realisation that about 3 million Lagos residents could not read or write in any language, we commissioned Eko Nke Koo (Lagos Is Learning), an initiative aimed at raising the literacy rate in Lagos State from its current 87 per cent to 95 per cent.

    “Through Eko Nke Koo, the Lagos State Agency for Mass Education increased the number of adult literacy centres across the state from 532 centres in 2016 to 782 as at January 2018.

    “We have also recorded improvement in enrolment and retention rates of learners in the programme. In 2017, 98 per cent of enrolled learners graduated from the programme.”

  • Wisecracks as Sanwo-Olu, Agbaje party in Lagos

    It was like any other meeting of good old buddies —  dramatic.

    They laughed heartily. They shook hands with vigour — unlike some political foes of old.

    Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate and Jimi Agbaje, his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart, were joined in the exchange of banters by Obafemi Hamzat – Sanwo-Olu’s running mate.

    Aides looked on with admiration as the men battling to succeed Goveror Akinwunmi Ambode held hands in a long-time-good-to-see-you manner.

    It was all at a wedding engagement involving the Shodipo and Dosekun families in Lagos at the weekend.

    Were the two gesticulating  men bragging about their chances? Was one telling the other that he might surrender because he felt surrounded already? Were they talking about their fanatical supporters? Or, just out to show that the struggle for the driver’s seat is not a do-or-die affair?

    Agbaje’s PDP has expressed its readiness to “capture” the state.  The APC insists that it has given its all to the “State of Aquatic Splendour” and will not relent in taking it to greater heights and making it the pride of all.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is to blow the whistle for the opening of campaigns later this month.

    Will Sanwo-Olu and Agbaje as well as their supporters continue the conviviality?

  • Lagos will promote technology growth, says Sanwo-Olu

    Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has promised to provide institutional and infrastructural support for the growth of technology, if elected in next year’s.

    Sanwo-Olu made the pledge during the Digital Lagos, an event hosted by Vabranium Valley, where he addressed developers and innovators.

    The candidate said technology is changing the way people live, work and socialise adding that social and governance problems are also solved with technological innovations, especially in Lagos with a Gross Domestic Product of more than $136b dollars.

    Speaking on the importance of Digital Lagos as a veritable platform for the transformation of the country, the  standard bearer, who was accompanied to the event by his running mate, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, said the huge investment in technology and creation of an expansive learning facility like Vibranium Valley will lent credence to the saying that Africa is the future of the world.

    He said his government will work in partnership with the technology sector to solve social issues such as the creation of employment opportunities, mentoring, entrepreneurship, education, health, transportation and to also improve the revenue profile of the government.

    “I’m aware that technology is the oil of today. Some ten years ago, the richest companies in the world were oil and energy giants, but the tide has changed. What we have today are technology companies dominating the global economic space. With technology, transparency and accountability in government become easier and possible. Technological innovations are helping social enterprise address social problems. Tech is accelerating SME evolutions and the impact of this is positive on the economy, which gives everyone a share of the prosperity created by this system,” he said.

    Sanwo-Olu also spoke on the importance of the old Concord Newspapers facility, which houses Vabranium Garden along Murtala Mohammed Airport Road, and the owner, Chief MKO Abiola, who he said was a man of big idea and notable entrepreneur.

    “That you are using the old Concord Newspapers facility as a hub of innovation in Lagos also invokes huge memories and the symbolism of the Chief Abiola. He was a man of big ideas and he represented hope. You are incubating big ideas here that will bring hope and prosperity to Lagos, Nigeria and the rest of the world.”