His admirers are singing his praises. Their bets on him have paid off bountifully, after all! And even his critics are in awe, even if their egos won’t allow them to admit it publicly.
In just over five-and-a-half years of his stewardship as Lagos State helmsman, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s achievements are too glaring to ignore.
At the core of his administration’s philosophy are creativity and innovation. Novel ideas to enhance governance and public service are sprouting like mushroom. The governor will settle for nothing less.
At a frenetic pace, all facets of the state’s socio-economic landscape are witnessing visible improvements.
From roads, health, education, trade and commerce, agriculture, to mention but a few, it’s been a litany of achievements by the Sanwo-Olu-led administration.
The focus here is on tourism and trade.
Not surprisingly, private sectors are latching on to the conducive atmosphere provided by the state government by staking billions of Naira on big-ticket projects.
Just six months ago, Sanwo-Olu unveiled Makarios Aquatic Park located in Aiyeteru, Ibeju along the Lekki-Epe Expressway in Lagos.
The N6 billon project is celebrated as the first multi-sensory aquatic park in sub-Saharan Africa.
The innovative park is expected to offer a unique recreational experience and serve as a major attraction, boosting tourism and the local economy in the area.
The project, envisioned and developed by Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo, underscores a commitment to transforming the region into a premier destination for both residents and visitors.
Ashimolowo is an entrepreneur and founder of Kingsway International Christian Centre, and the Chairman of Makarios Luxury Properties Limited.
During the commissioning, the governor and other dignitaries present were treated to a stunning view of jets of water moving in perfect harmony with musical rhythms.
The governor aptly described his experience as that of “power of imagination and bringing imagination to reality”.
The innovative park is expected to offer a unique recreational experience and serve as a major attraction, boosting tourism and the local economy in the area.
The governor said: “With those things that we see in other parts of the world, the inspiring landscape we hear about, bringing them here, the least we can do is to acknowledge and appreciate it. As your governor, we are proud of this masterpiece this evening.
“For us, it is about being an enabler of the greater things to happen. As Lagos continues to be home for all of us, it is also a future we all aspire to. Lagos is not only growing, but it is also a very resilient and forward-looking state.
“When we see investments from our citizens or foreigners coming to the city, we are always very encouraged to support those investments. I assure you that this is the beginning of a lot of things that will be happening at the Makarios”.
The governor commended Ashimolowo for the huge investment, noting that the Lekki corridor has been the fastest-growing corridor in Africa thus luxury living and properties will still come and differentiate the axis from others.
“Putting this here to salivate the development that is to come here is very inspirational”. Sanwo-Olu added.
An excited Ashimolowo revealed that his dream was to transform Lagos into a global hub of sophistication and leisure, adding that the concept of the park was borne out of his experience in Dubai during the COVID-19.
According to the preacher and author, he reimagined waterfront living, bringing the essence of Dubai’s iconic waterfront right to Lagos, Nigeria.
He said, “It became obvious to me that I could do something and be a part of the legacy. I wanted to be part of the solution and answer this question.
“People wanted to come to Nigeria, but there are no tourist places to visit. That’s what gave birth to this place. I am very glad it has happened. I have lived in the United Kingdom for 40 years —and I still live there. I don’t want to be part of those Nigerians in the Diaspora who are always lamenting. That is what most of them do. I want to be part of solving problems”.
He described the Makarios Aquatic Park as an uncommon, unusual water display show. “A symphony of water, sound, and music, mesmerising to the eyes, to the mind and the spirit.
“Firstly, you see water dancing. Secondly, you see water responding to music. Thirdly you see water mixed with laser light and fourthly you see water rise”, he stated.
The Makarios Water Fountain is one of the few that has a water screen in the middle. It has 180 pumps that form a water screen and shoot about 12 meters with no building around, the wind can blow the water. As the water rises, it meets with the one cascading down to form a spectacular scene.
The entire Makarios Ecosystem comprises both business and leisure districts. Built with the upper middle class and upwardly mobile people in mind, aside from the Aquatic Park, the entire Makarios Luxury Place will be a community where work, leisure, and luxury coexist harmoniously.
Work is ongoing at the iconic shopping mall — sprawling across 8,000 square meters — a plush hotel, as well as a 10-storey Imperial Towers with over 800 living spaces, including chic apartments and elegant terraced and detached houses.
“Makarios is designed to be more than just a residence; it’s an experience. Our vision is to offer a lifestyle that transcends boundaries, creating a world where dreams meet reality”, he said.
Fast forward tto1 December. It was the inaugural Isimi Lagos Festival held at the Isimi Lagos Wellness and Polo Country Estate in the Epe area.
At the event, Sanwo-Olu reiterated his administration’s commitment to the development of the tourism and creative industry, saying the state government would continue to provide a conducive atmosphere for businesses to thrive.
Isimi, according to him, is the birth of a new redefined hospitality, wellness and work-play environment in Lagos.
The project is a breathtaking facility, with nature as the main attraction for tourists, relaxation and retreats, among other things.
It is a 100 per cent eco-friendly project with over 500,000 trees planted, focusing on renewable energy, with other facilities like Outdoor Gym, Jetty, Farm Shop, Tech Valley, Helipad and a Polo Turf.
The facility is expected to boost the tourism potential of the state, increase foreign and private investments, as well as create more employment for the youths in the creative industry.
“I want to commend all of us for coming to the eastern part of Lagos to see the discovery of the new Lagos that we are talking about. It is the birth of the new, redefined hospitality in Lagos. It is the birth of a different kind of wellness and work-play environment. We are indeed happy that this is happening in our time.
“This entire corridor is also the place where we are going to be seeing the Lagos Film City, Lekki Airport and a lot of the new Lagos that we are envisioning. And so Isimi Lagos has taken the first step to redefine the birth of the new Lagos that we had envisioned.
“We thank those who have come out to see what we are doing in Lagos. This is a testament to a lot of things that are still on the way, and I am happy because this is about the young population. This is about the future that we see. This is about the age of the new leaders that we are birthing in the country and Lagos. You can see that it is a place for people under 40s.
“What I want us to take away from here is the discovery of the birth of a new history of tourism, hospitality and creativity in Lagos and Isimi Lagos has shown that when you put your heart and mind to something, it will happen”.
Devoid of mischief and never-see-good in anything Lagos, that Lagos is thriving, while other states are playing catch-up is a no-brainer.
It all boils down to real hard work that Sanwo-Olu is putting in, albeit almost effortlessly!
