Written by Olasunkanmi Akoni
Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor of Lagos State, has reaffirmed that the recent destruction in Makoko was done for the public’s benefit. He clarified that the government had to pay billions of naira to relocate the displaced residents from Okobaba to Agbowa.
Through the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), the governor has urged people and organizations to contribute financially to his administration’s efforts to maintain the safety of people and property in the state.
At a private breakfast meeting hosted by the LSSTF in Ikoyi, Lagos, with a few managing directors and CEOs of different organizations, Sanwo-Olu made a request to raise money for urgent security needs in 2026. Residents were reassured that his administration is still dedicated to maintaining Lagos’ safety and security.
The Makoko Protest
Sanwo-Olu responded to recent protests over the demolition in Makoko by stating that the government’s move was required to save lives and property.
“I’ve been charged with demolishing Makoko. The Third Mainland Bridge is surrounded by shanties. The problem was that they were approaching dangerously near to the bridge and growing at an amazing rate. Underneath are high-tension power wires as well.
“I can’t watch helplessly while hundreds of lives potentially be lost in a single day. We just pushed them back. A United Nations organization committed to supporting development for six years in exchange for money from me. I did, but they never came back. They acknowledged they had no money only last week.
What would be the government’s gain from relocating people? Only their safety might be the reason. We won’t watch helplessly while a disaster happens and then be held accountable. Some NGOs make movies depicting kids missing school in order to profit financially, collecting thousands of dollars from donor nations. It is unfortunate.
“I want people to know that we are not depriving anyone of anything. We are merely attempting to improve our people’s quality of life.
Relocation to Okobaba
Additionally, Sanwo-Olu emphasized how his administration fixed the long-standing Okobaba sawmill issue.
Fire breakouts occurred in Okobaba nearly every month. We moved them to Agbowa after more than ten or fifteen years. We constructed more than 500 homes for them at a cost of billions. You no longer hear about fire occurrences there because of this.
Commissioning of Schools
In the Tolu Community, Ajegunle, the governor announced plans to open 35 junior and senior schools with over 22,000 pupils the following month.
“We have a lot on our plate, but we have to protect our people. We need to establish a setting where investments keep coming in and the future is safe. We need to reassure a number of prospective new investors that Lagos is the ideal location.
Increasing Safety
Multipurpose helicopters and drones, Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), water cannons, police tactical training and infrastructure upgrades, digital communication equipment, smart CCTV cameras, vehicles, and an ultra-modern mechanical workshop are just a few of the state’s critical security needs, according to Sanwo-Olu.
Other subnational and federal governments have embraced the idea, he added, noting that previous LSSTF operations were effectively used to empower security services.
The Lagos State Government has always fulfilled its obligations year after year. Every year, we continue to finance more than half of security activities. However, we want the private sector to believe that their assistance is being used wisely. Accountability exists, and money is used in a transparent manner.
“We are using cutting-edge technology to modernize the Command and Control Center. CCTV cameras are being installed in accordance with the safe city paradigm. At first, we intended to install 5,000–10,000 cameras just in Lagos. We want to scale it up, but we haven’t gone too far yet.
“Our objective is to maintain Lagos’ security while enhancing our first responders’ capacity for rescue.”
