Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Monday urged local and international investors to invest in Lagos, assuring them that the state is willing and ready to partner with businesses to drive economic growth.
The governor gave the assurance at the Nigeria–UAE Investment Forum, tagged “Investopia Global Africa,” hosted by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Sanwo-Olu said his administration remains committed to providing critical infrastructure and ensuring a secure and safe environment for businesses to thrive in the state.
According to him, Lagos State has, in the last six and a half years, invested heavily in infrastructure across different sectors and is open to partnerships that will further improve the quality of life for residents.
“Lagos is positioning itself, leading the Nigerian conversation, and we are getting tremendous support from the Federal Government because, at the end of the day, all of those investments sit at the sub-national,” the governor said.
“I want to assure all of our local and international investors that Lagos is indeed a willing and ready partner. Whatever the red tapes there are, we are removing them. We also want to step back and let the businesses run for themselves. The security environment is safe, sound, and secure,” he added.
Sanwo-Olu highlighted major infrastructure investments by the state, including the Lekki Deep Sea Port, described as the largest deep port in the country, as well as ongoing plans for the Badagry Port.
He also disclosed that Lagos State, with the support of the Federal Government, is planning to build another international airport and the largest logistics hub to support agribusiness and trade.
“Lagos State is planning, with the support of the Federal Government, to build another international airport. That is forward-looking. We are also planning to build the largest logistics hub to ensure that markets in the agribusiness sector can operate efficiently from Lagos,” he said.
The governor further spoke on his administration’s commitment to boosting both the state and national economy through the Lagos International Financial Centre (LIFC), a joint initiative of the Lagos State Government and EnterpriseNGR.
“We started this journey in 2023, and we still have another eight months to a year to finally unveil it. The beauty of it is the amount of global support that we are receiving,” Sanwo-Olu said.
He explained that the LIFC is being designed as a competitive African and Nigerian model that can attract global investment and place Lagos on the same platform with other major financial cities around the world.
“The Lagos International Financial Centre is not just about Lagos; it is really a conversation about Nigeria. But it has to be in a city that is attractive and ready to unlock investment,” the governor said.
