Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, will commission the newly constructed Opebi-Mende-Maryland Link Bridge before the end of the year, the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, has disclosed.
Speaking during an interactive session with journalists in Alausa, Omotoso said the Sanwo-Olu–Hamzat administration is determined to complete and deliver most of its ongoing projects before the end of its tenure in 2027.
“All of the beautiful projects that you see that we have started, we are going to complete them. The new Massey Hospital is almost completed. The Opebi-Mende Link Bridge will be commissioned before the end of the year,” Omotoso said.
He explained that the remaining work on the new Massey Hospital involved finishing touches, particularly in equipping the facility.
“It’s not just the building that makes a hospital. You must equip it. That is where we really have a lot of work to do. But all I know is that by next year, that hospital will be commissioned,” he said.
The Commissioner also revealed that the General Hospital in Ojo and some food hub projects will be completed soon, noting that the hubs would be the largest in sub-Saharan Africa.
“Some of our food hubs are already completed, and we will commission them very soon. Early next year, if not later this year, we will have the biggest in sub-Saharan Africa,” he stated.
“It’s the kind of hub that can store food and feed five million people for at least three months if there’s famine. It can also help reduce prices during food inflation. It’s a facility that should excite all of us.”
Omotoso assured that several road projects under construction would also be completed before the administration winds down.
“All of them are going to be completed. I do not see any project so big that we won’t be able to complete it,” he said.
He added that the second phase of the Blue Line Rail and the Red Line Rail were still under construction and would be completed before the end of Sanwo-Olu’s tenure.
“And of course, the Green Rail Line, meetings are ongoing. You will see appreciable progress, if not completion, before we leave office,” Omotoso assured.
Highlighting achievements in the housing sector, the Commissioner mentioned the Ajara Housing Project in Badagry, as well as other schemes in Odo-Onosa and Sangotedo, as ready or near completion.
“It’s not in the DNA of the APC administration to abandon projects,” he said. “Either in housing, health, or infrastructure, no project is going to be left undone.”
Omotoso also hinted that Lagos would soon unveil what he described as the biggest school in West Africa, located in Ajegunle.
“It’s a massive school, amazing, wonderful, magical. You may not even imagine such a facility could be in Ajegunle,” he said.
On the state’s fiscal performance, Omotoso said the 2025 N3.366 trillion budget recorded about 80 percent cumulative performance.
“As of September, it was about 79 percent, but it’s now over 80 percent. In terms of revenue, we are doing very well, and in capital projects, we have also done about 80 percent,” he explained.
He attributed the success to the administration’s focus on inclusive governance.
“There is no community that has not felt the positive effects of Governor Sanwo-Olu’s administration,” he said. “If the government was not doing well, we would not see the excitement and solidarity during the community day celebration.”
The Commissioner dismissed suggestions that projects were concentrated in urban centres, saying the administration had extended development to local communities.
“At one point, local governments were asked to build a certain number of roads, and the state matched it. People are happy now to live in Badagry, Ikorodu, and Igbogbo. One of our best housing estates is in Igbogbo, and we’ve built more than 15 jetties linking communities,” he noted.
Responding to concerns about the demolition at the Trade Fair Complex, Omotoso dismissed claims that it was targeted at any group.
Saying: “It’s terrible for anybody to be making such suggestions. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has governed Lagos for about six years, and nobody has accused him of discrimination, not in religion, not in colour, not in tribe. Lagosians are Lagosians,” he stressed.
He emphasized that the government acted in accordance with the law, explaining that the state alone has the legal authority to issue building permits.
“How can you build a house without a permit? It’s not done anywhere. The law is clear, only the state has the power to issue building permits. You must obtain a permit before building, whether in Lagos, New York, or Chicago,” Omotoso said.
He described it as “absurd” that some individuals could erect skyscrapers without documentation.
“I don’t want to say people are ignorant, but there’s so much to be desired. You can’t build anyhow and turn the whole place into a slum,” he concluded.
