Lagos committed to promoting Blue Economy — Sanwo-Olu

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, announced on Thursday that his administration is dedicated to fully leveraging the state’s Blue Economy, given its coastal environment. He emphasized the importance of utilizing this potential to advance the state’s economy and attract global investors.

Governor Sanwo-Olu made these remarks during the 11th Lagos International Climate Change Summit (LICCS), held at the Lagos International Hotel on Victoria Island. He stated that his administration is committed to fostering ocean innovation to reshape commerce and mobility while unlocking both green and blue finance to support these initiatives.

Highlighting that Lagos has a coastline of 187 kilometers and that many residents live where land meets the ocean, the governor pointed out the transformation of what could have been an Atlantic wasteland into the thriving Eko Atlantic City. He described this transformation as “a living testament to human ingenuity and Lagos’ defiant optimism.”

The governor further noted that what was once threatened by erosion now serves as a beacon of renewal. For cities like Lagos, climate change is not merely an abstract concept but “a lived reality,” necessitating urgent responses, inclusivity, and innovation.

“We are building coastal resilience to protect lives and livelihoods. We are driving ocean innovation to reimagine commerce and mobility. And we are unlocking green and blue finance to power both.

“The Great Wall of Lagos, one of Africa’s most ambitious coastal defense systems, has transformed what
has transformed what could have been an Atlantic wasteland into the thriving Eko Atlantic City — a living testament to human ingenuity and Lagos’ defiant optimism. What was once threatened by erosion now stands as a beacon of renewal,” he said.

This was just as he added that transportation by water, otherwise referred to as “Omi Èkó Initiative,” which the state government just launched and powered by partnerships with the French Development Agency (AFD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB), was meant to redefining urban mobility with a low-carbon water transport network.

Sanwo-Olu said the state recognizes that true resilience goes beyond infrastructure and technology as it advanced it’s climate agenda, noting it was also about restoring harmony with nature itself based on fact “that the health of our city is inseparable from the health of its natural ecosystems.”

Earlier, in his speech, the State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Hon. Tokunbo Wahab, said this year’s summit reflected his ministry’s resolve to unlock sustainable financing and pioneer innovative solutions that would safeguard the oceans, strengthen coasts in Lagos and unlock prosperity for generations to come.

The commissioner, however, noted that the incredible resource was also one of the greatest vulnerabilities, adding: “Scientific evidence shows that Lagos faces real threats from rising sea levels, extreme flooding, and soaring temperatures.”

According to him, Lagos on daily bases, witnesses pollution in her waterways, from the careless dumping of liquid and solid waste to the spread of plastic pollution and unregulated dredging, saying that these were not distant challenges, but were crises happening right now and, therefore, “a call to action, to transform our blue waters and vibrant coasts into engines of resilience and inclusive growth, ensuring a future that truly leaves no one behind.”

“Lagos sees opportunity, with this summit we have the chance to redefine our relationship with the ocean, not as a resource to be exploited but as a living system to be nurtured, one that sustains both our people and our planet. The Blue Economy represents more than just water-based industries; it embodies a new frontier for sustainable prosperity.

“This year’s summit also provides an opportunity to bridge a crucial gap, the gap between visionary climate action and the sustainable financing needed to make it a reality.

“Our mission is clear, to unlock the capital that will help us build resilience, drive innovation, and protect our coastal future. Lagos State isn’t just talking about this vision, we are taking concrete steps to bring it to life.

“Under the visionary leadership of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, Lagos continues to lead Nigeria’s sub-national climate response through bold initiatives and strategic investments that strengthen our environmental resilience.

“This leadership has not gone unnoticed, Lagos has been ranked the top-performing state in Nigeria for climate governance for the second year running, according to the 2025 Subnational Climate Governance Performance Rating,” Wahab stated.

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