Leverage technology in project management, Sanwo-Olu urges cabinet members

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Lagos Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has charged members of the State Executive Council to embrace the importance of leveraging technology and data in project management in the state.

Governor Sanwo-Olu gave the charge on Wednesday at the One-Day Workshop on Effective Project Management organized by the Project Implementation and Monitoring Unit (PIMU) and the Projecting Management Institute, USA, held at the Marriot Hotel Ikeja.

The governor, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, while making the call, noted that the world is now in an era where digital tools and data-driven insights were transforming governance, saying that there was need for them to “remain ahead of the curve.”

According to him, technology offers the ability to track projects in real-time, measure impact, and make data-informed decisions that enhance one’s capacity to deliver, urging the Cabinet Members to be open to innovations and integrate them into their daily operations and activities, moreso as they were not only familiar with the administration’s vision for Lagos State but were the very architects of the vision in the delivery of the government’s agenda.

He added that the success of the shared mission of the state government depended largely on the efficiency, precision, and commitment with which they executed the projects.

“We have set ambitious targets across every sector that include education, healthcare, infrastructure, technology, social services, and beyond. Achieving these targets requires not just passion, but a disciplined approach to project management,” Governor Sanwo-Olu said.

On the workshop and its importance, Sanwo-Olu emphasized that in his administration, project management was not a technical formality; but the backbone of effective governance, stressing that the projects his government initiated either big or small were the tangible outcomes of its policies.

The governor argued that when projects were delivered on time, within budget, and to the highest standards, they reinforced the government’s credibility, strengthened public trust, and accelerated the transformation of the state.

He added that the workshop was also an opportunity to engage with advanced strategies that would ensure projects were managed with precision and accountability, from initiation to completion.

“This knowledge will not only help us avoid pitfalls but will also enable us to seize opportunities for innovation, efficiency, and excellence. As key members of the Executive Council, each of you is a leader and a project champion. You are responsible not only for overseeing projects but for inspiring your teams, setting high standards, and ensuring that our collective goals are met.

“The effectiveness of your leadership in project management directly impacts our ability to deliver results for the people of Lagos,” Sanwo-Olu said.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, while reiterating the significant progress the state had made in the past years, further encouraged cabinet members to always give room for improvement, and to “be more agile, innovative, and accountable.”

The Executive Assistant to the Governor on Project Implementation and Monitoring, Mr Olusegun Sanwo-Olu, earlier in his welcome address, reiterated the importance of adopting AI, to improve turnaround time while making data-driven decisions and monitoring the impact of policies & projects on Lagosians.

Mr. Sanwo-Olu noted that it was the collective responsibility of the stakeholders to ensure that the present and future of Lagos were anchored on strong governance, visionary leadership, and a shared desire to make a sustainable and positive impact on the lives of every Lagosian.

The Executive Assistant, while highlighting areas for amendment, noted the need to improve and harmonize the state’s regulatory, compliance, and project monitoring activities, particularly in relation to contractors executing projects and Lagosians as key stakeholders.

According to him, the goal is to ensure that the government is perceived as a unified organization with a human-centered approach, adding: “Achieving this will require robust backend synergy between MDAs, enabling seamless access to and retrieval of data from a centralized repository.”

In his address, the Managing Director of Sub-Saharan Africa PMI Global, Mr. George Asamani, noted that there was an urgent call in Africa for the need to improve the continent’s project management capability to execute different initiatives across Africa.

This was just as he sadly noted that the final piece to move forward is the execution capability despite the African great leaders with fantastic strategies and ideas, but quickly affirmed being “on the journey.”

“Despite the African great leaders with fantastic strategies and ideas, the final piece to move us forward is our execution capability and I believe we are still on the journey,” he said.

Speaking on the workshop, the Managing Director stated that the workshop would help position the state to move beyond the conventional governance model, assuring that the participants would have the ability to enhance the value delivered by the government projects and eventually make a meaningful impact in the lives of Lagosians.

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