Sanwo-Olu urges renewed African solidarity, self-determination

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has called for renewed African solidarity and self-determination, stressing that the continent’s future must be shaped by Africans themselves.

Governor Sanwo-Olu made the call through his deputy, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, during a courtesy visit by the Regional Governor of Ohangwena Region, Republic of Namibia, Kadiva D. Hamutumwa, held at the Official Residence of the Deputy Governor, Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Sanwo-Olu recalled Nigeria’s role in the early 1980s when students from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and other African countries were educated by the Nigerian government as part of its commitment to African unity.

“I recall as a young person in the early 1980s when Nigeria hosted students from South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, creating a strong African bond. Our destiny as Africans must be determined by us, not by outsiders, and we must work together, as Europe has done through the European Union,” he said.

The governor expressed concern that such continental bonds were weakening, calling on African nations to strengthen cooperation for collective progress, even as he noted that greater collaboration across the continent remained vital for economic growth, stability, and development.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, however, assured that the Lagos State government was ready to work with the Ohangwena Region, Republic of Namibia, in key areas such as infrastructure, transportation, and energy, among others, to aid development within the region.

The governor, while highlighting Lagos State’s efforts to address the challenges of rapid urbanisation, emphasised that the state government had continued to invest in transport infrastructure, agriculture, and healthcare.

He added that the state had successfully developed intra-city rail lines, introduced electric ferries to promote cleaner energy, and established maternal and child care centres to improve healthcare delivery and urban management to meet the demands of its expanding population.

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to innovation and sustainable growth, noting that his government was also building logistics and industrial hubs to ensure food security and economic resilience within the state.

In her remarks, the Governor of Ohangwena Region, Republic of Namibia, Hamutumwa, stated that the team was in Lagos to learn and tap into the knowledge of the state and explore collaboration opportunities to transform Ohangwena into Namibia’s economic hub.

Hamutumwa explained that Lagos’s success in commerce, infrastructure, and innovation presented a valuable model for emerging African regions seeking to drive growth and industrial transformation.

According to her, Ohangwena Region’s goal over the next five years is to become a commercial hub for northern Namibia by focusing on agriculture, logistics, and industrial expansion, given the region’s proximity to Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola, and Botswana.

She further noted that the region is currently 80 per cent rural and semi-urban, declaring that her vision was to commercialise the region, “turn it around, and develop key industries within the region that will not only serve the region itself but also the rest of the country and Africa as a whole.”

“Our region is well-positioned to serve as a gateway for regional trade within southern Africa, and when I looked at which countries we would collaborate with in order to gain learnings and tap into the knowledge and commerce within those countries, Nigeria was the first country I identified to visit. So the first stop is Lagos, as the state is the commercial hub of Nigeria,” she said.

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