Sanwo-Olu: How Lagos is Becoming Africa’s Geoeconomic Powerhouse

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu outlined Lagos State’s role as a leading geoeconomic hub at the Geo-Economic Optimization Summit. He highlighted that if Lagos were a country, it would rank as Africa’s eighth-largest economy, contributing a third of Nigeria’s GDP and generating over $259.75 billion in output on a purchasing-power-parity basis. The governor detailed five strategic circles of influence, from ports and data centers to creative industries and the blue economy. He called for special status for Lagos in recognition of its national importance and the burdens of hosting a tenth of Nigeria’s population. Investments in mass transit, competitive power reforms, and major federal infrastructure projects like the Coastal Highway were cited as proof of Lagos’s vision. Sanwo-Olu urged regional cooperation, noting that “when Lagos works, Nigeria works better.” Speakers at the summit, including leaders from the Citadel School of Government and the University of Lagos Business School, affirmed Lagos’s model status and recommended replicating its geoeconomic blueprint across other regions.

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