The Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Obafemi Hamzat, has unveiled a 100-point manifesto, promising to establish a child protection and nutrition agency, create a state wealth fund and introduce a public service delivery office within his first 100 days in office if elected governor.
Mr Hamzat announced the proposals on Friday at the launch of
his manifesto and campaign theme, Lagos, Forward Together, organised by the
Lagos State APC PBAT-KOH Campaign Council 2027 at the Wole Soyinka Centre for
Culture and Creative Arts, Iganmu, Lagos.
The manifesto, which he described as ‘The Lagos Promise’ and
called the Hamzat Compact, contains seven pillars covering people,
infrastructure, economic opportunities, government operations, inclusion,
security and citizenship.
Mr Hamzat said 87 of the 100 pledges were firm commitments
within the powers of the state government, while the remaining 13 were
aspirations dependent on consultations with the federal government and other
institutions, including the courts.
He promised to publish a scorecard against which residents
could assess his administration’s performance.
“If one of them is not delivered, it will be noted, and I
must own it,” he said.
For his first 100 days in office, Mr Hamzat said he would
send a bill to the Lagos State House of Assembly to establish a Child
Protection and Nutrition Agency. The proposed agency, he said, would ensure
that every child below 18 was either in school or learning a trade and had
adequate food.
He also promised to establish a Lagos State Service Delivery
Office through an executive order. The office, to be chaired by the governor,
would publish baseline figures for assessing the administration’s commitments.
The third proposal is a state wealth fund, which, he said,
would have an independent board and publish its accounts to preserve resources
for future generations.
Mr Hamzat said his administration would introduce service
charters in government offices, setting out the services residents should
expect and the standards to be met. He promised that complaints would be
acknowledged within 48 hours, answered within seven days and resolved within 30
days.
“Accountability will not wait for the end of my term. It
begins in my first 100 days. My manifesto is a promise to Lagosians. The
promise, as we all know, has seven letters, seven pillars, and 100 pledges.
Inside there are 100 pledges. So as we know, P stands for People First. R
stands for Renewal. O stands for Opportunity. M stands for Machinery of
Government. I for inclusion. S for security and resilience. And E for every
citizen. So seven letters, seven pillars, one word,” he said.
Healthcare, education and jobs
On healthcare, Mr Hamzat promised to increase the number of
maternal and child centres from six to 15, complete ongoing hospital projects
and build two new general hospitals in Ogombo and Ibeju-Lekki.
He also pledged to upgrade 100 primary healthcare centres to
flagship status and recruit more doctors, nurses and midwives.
Among the projects he cited were the new Massey Children’s
Hospital, which he said would have 150 beds, and another general hospital
project with 280 beds. He also mentioned the Shomolu General Hospital project,
expected to provide 150 beds.
“Our promise is that we will deliver two new general
hospitals at Ogombo and Ibeju Lekki, expand the capacity of existing general
hospitals, and upgrade 100 primary healthcare centres to flagship status. We
will strengthen the health workforce. We will hire more doctors, more nurses
and more midwives,” he said.
In education, the candidate promised to strengthen the
EkoEXCEL programme in public primary schools, improve teaching and learning
outcomes and expand opportunities for technical and vocational training.
He said his administration would pursue plans for a
University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Lagos and ensure that children
remained in school. Mr Hamzat also promised to review teachers’ compensation
packages.
“We will review your compensation package, so that your pay
matches the work we demand from you,” he said.
On employment, he argued that businesses would create most
of the jobs needed in Lagos and that government should focus on removing
obstacles to their growth.
He proposed a single schedule of local government charges,
easier business permits, improved access to credit and a defined share of state
procurement for qualifying small businesses.
He also promised to introduce a vocational placement scheme
under which students in technical schools would spend between six and 12 months
with employers, with the state paying 40 per cent of their stipends.
For artisans, he proposed free skills certification at their
workplaces and in languages they understand.
Mr Hamzat said the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund had
provided more than N15 billion to over 21,000 businesses, while businesses
supported through the scheme had created more than 300,000 jobs. These figures
were presented as part of his account of the administration’s achievements.
Transport, housing and environment
On transportation, Mr Hamzat said his proposed
administration would extend the Blue Line rail service to Okokomaiko and work
with the federal government to advance the Green Line from Marina to the Lekki
Free Trade Zone.
He also promised to connect the Blue and Red rail lines at
the National Theatre station, expand ferry services and introduce integrated
ticketing across road, rail and water transport.
“Lagos, we must know, is a water state. The lagoon must
therefore be our third highway,” he said.
He pledged to dredge an additional 140-kilometre water
corridor, optimise ferry routes and procure 75 riverine vessels.
On roads, he promised to prioritise inner roads in
collaboration with local governments and local council development areas, while
accelerating work on major road projects, including the coastal road along the
Lekki-Epe axis.
The candidate also promised to complete ongoing housing
projects and develop additional homes through partnerships with the private
sector. He proposed mortgages requiring a 10 per cent deposit, single-digit
interest rates and longer repayment periods.
On security, he said he would strengthen the Lagos State
Neighbourhood Safety Agency and extend its presence to wards across the state’s
20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas. He also
promised to expand street lighting and CCTV coverage.
For the environment, Mr Hamzat set a target of 95 per cent
waste collection coverage through improved operations by private sector
participants. He promised to complete waste transfer facilities, develop a
waste recovery facility and complete a waste-to-energy project at Agbowa.
“On waste, we will strengthen community collections, reach
95% coverage by optimizing the PSP, that is the private sector participant
deliveries, and make Lagos cleaner. We will complete the transfer loading
stations at Olusosun and Solous III in Alimosho.
“We will deliver a recovery facility and complete the
waste-to-energy facility at Agbowa. 30,000 Lagosians already collect and sort
this state’s waste, and we will bring them into the system, and we train them,
equip them, and pay them properly. Essential work deserves recognition,” he
said.
The pledge comes amid persistent challenges with waste
collection and disposal in Lagos, where gaps in the state’s waste management
system have left some communities struggling with irregular collection and
inadequate disposal services.
A Premium Times investigation found that waste collection
services remain uneven across the state, with some households receiving regular
services while others have limited or no access to formal collection. The
investigation also highlighted the pressure on existing disposal infrastructure
and the difficulties residents face in managing refuse.
Sanwo-Olu backs Hamzat, cites years of working
relationship
Earlier, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu urged Lagos residents
to support Mr Hamzat, describing him as an experienced public servant who had
been involved in major decisions and projects during their seven years working
together.
The governor recalled that Mr Hamzat had sought the
governorship in 2018 but stepped aside after party leaders asked him to allow
Governor Sanwo-Olu to emerge as the candidate.
He said Mr Hamzat accepted to serve as his running mate and
had remained loyal throughout their time in office.
“In seven years, there has not been one day, not one, when I
had to wonder whose side my deputy was on,” Governor Sanwo-Olu said.
He cited the COVID-19 response, the development of the Blue
and Red rail lines and the arrival of the first ship at the Lekki Deep Sea Port
among the major events in which Mr Hamzat had been involved.
The governor described the candidate as a key participant in
the administration’s planning and project implementation, particularly in
technical matters.
He framed Mr Hamzat’s candidacy as a continuation of the
APC’s successive administrations in Lagos, from Bola Tinubu to Babatunde
Fashola, Akinwunmi Ambode and himself.
“There has been one government. There has been one
direction. There has been one voice. This is not the time to experiment with
Lagos. This is the time to consolidate,” he said.
APC chairman, former deputy governor endorse candidate
The Lagos APC chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, described the
manifesto as a covenant between the party, its candidate and the electorate.
Mr Ojelabi said the APC administrations in Lagos had
recorded achievements in infrastructure, transportation, education, healthcare,
housing and economic development.
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years ago
He called for continuity but said it should not prevent the
government from addressing shortcomings.
“Continuity must not mean complacency. It must mean building
on proven achievements, correcting identified shortcomings, and pursuing
greater progress with renewed determination,” he said.
He described Mr Hamzat as a candidate with experience in
public service and the private sector, adding that his time as deputy governor
had prepared him for the state’s top office.
Former Lagos Deputy Governor Sarah Sosan, speaking on behalf
of the state’s Governors’ Advisory Council, also endorsed Mr Hamzat, describing
him as a committed public servant with experience as a commissioner and deputy
governor.
Mrs Sosan said Lagos should build on its existing
development record rather than abandon policies and projects that had worked.
“Lagos is not for experiment,” she said.
She said the manifesto should address the needs of residents
in areas including roads, transportation, education, healthcare, security,
housing and the environment.
The APC leaders called on party members to mobilise support
for Mr Hamzat ahead of the governorship election.
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