FUNSHO AROGUNDADE
100 Pledges. 87 Commitments. 31 Chapters. 7 Pillars. That was what Dr. Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat, Lagos State Deputy Governor and the All Progressives Congress, APC Lagos Governorship Candidate for 2027 elections, presented Friday October 30 at a well-attended manifesto unveiling ceremony.
The campaign theme: ‘Lagos, Forward Together’ and the manifesto titled: ‘The Lagos Promise’ (ILERI EKO) was presented to the public inside The DOME of the Wole Soyinka Center for Culture and Creative Arts, National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.
The manifesto contains seven pillars covering people, infrastructure, economic opportunities, government operations, inclusion, security and citizenship.
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.
Hamzat promised 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.
“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,” Hamzat said.
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.
On healthcare, 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.
Hamzat said his administration will also prioritize transportation as he would increase the state’s public bus fleet from 1,000 to 4,000, with a target of transporting one million passengers daily.
“I will grow the public bus fleet from one thousand buses to four thousand, so our buses can carry one million passengers every day,” he said.
The APC Candidate also promised to 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 education, Hamzat pledged to strengthen the EKOEXCEL programme, which currently operates in 1,028 public primary schools, while improving teacher training and reviewing teachers’ compensation packages.
“Every child in Lagos belongs in school. I will bring every one of them in, and keep them there,” he said.
For the environment, 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 manifesto also contains plans to increase water supply through the completion of the 70-million-gallon-per-day Adiyan Phase Two waterworks, rehabilitate 24 micro and mini waterworks, and expand waste collection coverage to 95 per cent.
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.
At the heart of the Lagos Promise is a commitment to build on the foundation of progress by previous Lagos Governors and ensure that the aspirations of Lagosians remain at the centre of his development agenda.
Describing the manifesto as a binding commitment to Lagos residents, Hamzat said, “A PROMISE is a debt,” adding that the document contained specific commitments citizens could monitor and use to hold him accountable.
In his remark at the ceremony, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu pledged to repay his Deputy’s loyalty by canvassing votes for Hamzat ahead of the Governorship Election.
The Governor said Hamzat has contributed immensely to the State’s development and deserves the chance to consolidate on those achievements.
He urged Lagos residents to support 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 how Hamzat had sought the governorship in 2018 but stepped aside after party leaders asked him to allow Sanwo-Olu to emerge as the candidate.
He said Hamzat accepted to serve as his running mate and had remained loyal throughout their time in office.
“I have thought about what it costs a man to put down the thing he wants most, in public, at the request of people he respects, for the benefit of someone else. Many men would have done it and nursed the wound. Some would have done it and plotted. Femi Hamzat did it, shook my hand, and five weeks later agreed to run beside me…In seven years, there has not been one day, not one, when I had to wonder whose side my deputy was on,” 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 Hamzat had been involved.
He described Hamzat as a technocrat with extensive experience in governance, noting that he had served under three governors, occupied two major ministries and spent seven years as deputy governor.
Sanwo-Olu said Hamzat has been a key participant in the administration’s planning and project implementation, particularly in technical matters.
He framed his candidacy as a continuation of the APC’s successive administrations in Lagos from (President) 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.
Sanwo-Olu listed the second phases of the Blue and Red rail lines, the Fourth Mainland Bridge, the proposed Lekki-Epe International Airport, the Omu Creek project, food hubs and logistics parks among the projects requiring continuity.
He, however, explained that consolidation did not mean repeating existing policies but completing ongoing projects, addressing shortcomings and initiating new programmes.
“This is not the time to experiment with Lagos. This is the time to consolidate. Continuity does not mean repeating ourselves. It means finishing what was started, fixing what is not working, and starting what comes next, in that order, with a plan,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Adding her voice to the vision, Hamzat’s running mate, Princess Damilola Senayon James said: “From women, children, young people, and entrepreneurs across all segments of our society, our plan recognises the importance of creating an environment where everyone has the opportunity to flourish.
“Across its seven pillars of People First, Renewal, Opportunity, Machinery of Government, Inclusion, Security and Resilience, and Economic Dignity, our commitment is to advance initiatives that improve lives, support businesses and expand opportunities for our people.”
