Hamzat unveils 100-point manifesto, pledges child protection agency, state wealth fund

Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Obafemi Hamzat

The Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Obafemi Hamzat, has unveiled a 100-point manifesto, promising to establish a child protection and nutrition agency, create a state wealth fund and introduce a public service delivery office within his first 100 days in office if elected governor.

Mr Hamzat announced the proposals on Friday at the launch of his manifesto and campaign theme, Lagos, Forward Together, organised by the Lagos State APC PBAT-KOH Campaign Council 2027 at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, Iganmu, Lagos.

The manifesto, which he described as ‘The Lagos Promise’ and called the Hamzat Compact, contains seven pillars covering people, infrastructure, economic opportunities, government operations, inclusion, security and citizenship.

Mr Hamzat said 87 of the 100 pledges were firm commitments within the powers of the state government, while the remaining 13 were aspirations dependent on consultations with the federal government and other institutions, including the courts.

He promised to publish a scorecard against which residents could assess his administration’s performance.

“If one of them is not delivered, it will be noted, and I must own it,” he said.

For his first 100 days in office, Mr Hamzat said he would send a bill to the Lagos State House of Assembly to establish a Child Protection and Nutrition Agency. The proposed agency, he said, would ensure that every child below 18 was either in school or learning a trade and had adequate food.

He also promised to establish a Lagos State Service Delivery Office through an executive order. The office, to be chaired by the governor, would publish baseline figures for assessing the administration’s commitments.

The third proposal is a state wealth fund, which, he said, would have an independent board and publish its accounts to preserve resources for future generations.

Mr Hamzat said his administration would introduce service charters in government offices, setting out the services residents should expect and the standards to be met. He promised that complaints would be acknowledged within 48 hours, answered within seven days and resolved within 30 days.

“Accountability will not wait for the end of my term. It begins in my first 100 days. My manifesto is a promise to Lagosians. The promise, as we all know, has seven letters, seven pillars, and 100 pledges. Inside there are 100 pledges. So as we know, P stands for People First. R stands for Renewal. O stands for Opportunity. M stands for Machinery of Government. I for inclusion. S for security and resilience. And E for every citizen. So seven letters, seven pillars, one word,” he said.

On healthcare, Mr Hamzat promised to increase the number of maternal and child centres from six to 15, complete ongoing hospital projects and build two new general hospitals in Ogombo and Ibeju-Lekki.

He also pledged to upgrade 100 primary healthcare centres to flagship status and recruit more doctors, nurses and midwives.

Among the projects he cited were the new Massey Children’s Hospital, which he said would have 150 beds, and another general hospital project with 280 beds. He also mentioned the Shomolu General Hospital project, expected to provide 150 beds.

“Our promise is that we will deliver two new general hospitals at Ogombo and Ibeju Lekki, expand the capacity of existing general hospitals, and upgrade 100 primary healthcare centres to flagship status. We will strengthen the health workforce. We will hire more doctors, more nurses and more midwives,” he said.

In education, the candidate promised to strengthen the EkoEXCEL programme in public primary schools, improve teaching and learning outcomes and expand opportunities for technical and vocational training.

He said his administration would pursue plans for a University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Lagos and ensure that children remained in school. Mr Hamzat also promised to review teachers’ compensation packages.

“We will review your compensation package, so that your pay matches the work we demand from you,” he said.

On employment, he argued that businesses would create most of the jobs needed in Lagos and that government should focus on removing obstacles to their growth.

He proposed a single schedule of local government charges, easier business permits, improved access to credit and a defined share of state procurement for qualifying small businesses.

He also promised to introduce a vocational placement scheme under which students in technical schools would spend between six and 12 months with employers, with the state paying 40 per cent of their stipends.

For artisans, he proposed free skills certification at their workplaces and in languages they understand.

Mr Hamzat said the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund had provided more than N15 billion to over 21,000 businesses, while businesses supported through the scheme had created more than 300,000 jobs. These figures were presented as part of his account of the administration’s achievements.

On transportation, Mr Hamzat said his proposed administration would extend the Blue Line rail service to Okokomaiko and work with the federal government to advance the Green Line from Marina to the Lekki Free Trade Zone.

He also promised to connect the Blue and Red rail lines at the National Theatre station, expand ferry services and introduce integrated ticketing across road, rail and water transport.

“Lagos, we must know, is a water state. The lagoon must therefore be our third highway,” he said.

He pledged to dredge an additional 140-kilometre water corridor, optimise ferry routes and procure 75 riverine vessels.

On roads, he promised to prioritise inner roads in collaboration with local governments and local council development areas, while accelerating work on major road projects, including the coastal road along the Lekki-Epe axis.

The candidate also promised to complete ongoing housing projects and develop additional homes through partnerships with the private sector. He proposed mortgages requiring a 10 per cent deposit, single-digit interest rates and longer repayment periods.

On security, he said he would strengthen the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency and extend its presence to wards across the state’s 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas. He also promised to expand street lighting and CCTV coverage.

For the environment, Mr Hamzat set a target of 95 per cent waste collection coverage through improved operations by private sector participants. He promised to complete waste transfer facilities, develop a waste recovery facility and complete a waste-to-energy project at Agbowa.

“On waste, we will strengthen community collections, reach 95% coverage by optimizing the PSP, that is the private sector participant deliveries, and make Lagos cleaner. We will complete the transfer loading stations at Olusosun and Solous III in Alimosho.

“We will deliver a recovery facility and complete the waste-to-energy facility at Agbowa. 30,000 Lagosians already collect and sort this state’s waste, and we will bring them into the system, and we train them, equip them, and pay them properly. Essential work deserves recognition,” he said.

The pledge comes amid persistent challenges with waste collection and disposal in Lagos, where gaps in the state’s waste management system have left some communities struggling with irregular collection and inadequate disposal services.

A Premium Times investigation found that waste collection services remain uneven across the state, with some households receiving regular services while others have limited or no access to formal collection. The investigation also highlighted the pressure on existing disposal infrastructure and the difficulties residents face in managing refuse.

Earlier, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu urged Lagos residents to support Mr Hamzat, describing him as an experienced public servant who had been involved in major decisions and projects during their seven years working together.

The governor recalled that Mr Hamzat had sought the governorship in 2018 but stepped aside after party leaders asked him to allow Governor Sanwo-Olu to emerge as the candidate.

He said Mr Hamzat accepted to serve as his running mate and had remained loyal throughout their time in office.

“In seven years, there has not been one day, not one, when I had to wonder whose side my deputy was on,” Governor Sanwo-Olu said.

He cited the COVID-19 response, the development of the Blue and Red rail lines and the arrival of the first ship at the Lekki Deep Sea Port among the major events in which Mr Hamzat had been involved.

The governor described the candidate as a key participant in the administration’s planning and project implementation, particularly in technical matters.

He framed Mr Hamzat’s candidacy as a continuation of the APC’s successive administrations in Lagos, from Bola Tinubu to Babatunde Fashola, Akinwunmi Ambode and himself.

“There has been one government. There has been one direction. There has been one voice. This is not the time to experiment with Lagos. This is the time to consolidate,” he said.

The Lagos APC chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, described the manifesto as a covenant between the party, its candidate and the electorate.

Mr Ojelabi said the APC administrations in Lagos had recorded achievements in infrastructure, transportation, education, healthcare, housing and economic development.

He called for continuity but said it should not prevent the government from addressing shortcomings.

“Continuity must not mean complacency. It must mean building on proven achievements, correcting identified shortcomings, and pursuing greater progress with renewed determination,” he said.

He described Mr Hamzat as a candidate with experience in public service and the private sector, adding that his time as deputy governor had prepared him for the state’s top office.

Former Lagos Deputy Governor Sarah Sosan, speaking on behalf of the state’s Governors’ Advisory Council, also endorsed Mr Hamzat, describing him as a committed public servant with experience as a commissioner and deputy governor.

Mrs Sosan said Lagos should build on its existing development record rather than abandon policies and projects that had worked.

“Lagos is not for experiment,” she said.

She said the manifesto should address the needs of residents in areas including roads, transportation, education, healthcare, security, housing and the environment.

The APC leaders called on party members to mobilise support for Mr Hamzat ahead of the governorship election.