Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has revealed that President Bola Tinubu is enthusiastic about the proposed Lagos International Financial Centre (LIFC), describing the initiative as a strategic platform to reposition Nigeria in the global financial ecosystem.
Governor Sanwo-Olu made the disclosure on Sunday evening during a welcome dinner organised for delegates attending the Nigeria Foreign Direct Investment Training Programme at the Moller Institute, University of Cambridge, England.
The training programme, convened at the instance of the Lagos International Financial Centre, is organised by TheCityUK and funded by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom.
Speaking at the event, Governor Sanwo-Olu, who chairs the LIFC Council, said President Tinubu is fully briefed on the project and has expressed keen interest in taking leadership and ownership of the initiative once a comprehensive memorandum is submitted to him.
According to the governor, he had an extensive discussion with the President on Saturday, during which Tinubu conveyed his excitement about the vision behind the financial centre.
“President Tinubu is aware of this meeting and our activity. He was very excited when I spoke with him for almost one hour yesterday. He is really expecting a memo from us on this, a high-level paper to ventilate his thought process. He wants to take leadership and ownership of it, which we all can expect,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The governor noted that the proposed Lagos International Financial Centre is not designed to serve sectional interests but is a national project aimed at positioning Nigeria as a competitive global financial hub.
“It is not about any particular person or region; it is about the country and the conversation on how big the country is, and how we can use that platform to position Nigeria in that global space where people can truly know that we are serious,” he added.
Sanwo-Olu commended the President for what he described as his quick understanding of the vision and readiness to support bold ideas capable of accelerating national growth. He expressed optimism that with the calibre of stakeholders backing the initiative, the LIFC would become a reality.
He also praised the commitment of key partners involved in the project, including international organisations, senior officials of the Federal and Lagos State Governments, members of the National Assembly, regulatory agencies and EnterpriseNGR.
Also speaking at the event, Co-Chairman of the LIFC Council, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, expressed strong confidence in the successful establishment of the financial centre, citing the quality and unity of stakeholders supporting the initiative.
He applauded the synergy between the public and private sectors, noting that the high-level training sessions have encouraged participants to broaden their vision and think ambitiously about Nigeria’s financial future.
“Over the last few days, they have been getting us to see beyond what we are accepting to see and to think really big. It is very motivating to all of us in the private sector,” Aig-Imoukhuede said.
The ongoing training at Cambridge has drawn top government officials and financial sector leaders, including Senators Tokunboh Abiru, Adamu Aliero and Sadiq Umar Abubakar;
Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Dr. Emomotimi Agama; Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Ms Aisha Rimi; as well as representatives of the Central Bank of Nigeria and other senior government officials.
The Lagos International Financial Centre initiative is expected to drive reforms, attract foreign direct investment and deepen Nigeria’s capital markets, as stakeholders intensify efforts to position Lagos, and by extension Nigeria, as a major financial gateway for Africa and beyond.
