In this model evaluation, Raheem Akingbolu examines how Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat’s 100-point manifesto, The Lagos Promise (Ileri Eko), seeks to translate governance commitments into on a regular basis worth for Lagosians, strengthening public belief and shaping a new narrative of growth, inclusion and accountability
Every morning, thousands and thousands of Lagos residents set out with acquainted issues. How lengthy will the journey to work take? What will transport price right this moment? Can a member of the family obtain medical consideration with out spending hours looking for care? For younger graduates, the priority is commonly discovering a job or gaining the expertise wanted to construct a profession in a aggressive financial system.
These questions form family choices and enterprise exercise throughout the state. They additionally affect how residents choose those that govern them. A coverage could sound convincing at a public presentation, however its worth turns into clearer when it impacts the price of attending to work, the supply of healthcare, the standard of a college or the flexibility of a small enterprise to stay open.
Against this backdrop, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat’s The Lagos Promise (Ileri Eko) enters the political dialog. Unveiled on 30 October 2026 on the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, previously the National Theatre, Iganmu, the 100-point manifesto units out proposals for the subsequent section of Lagos growth. Its seven pillars are People First, Renewal, Opportunity, Machinery of Government, Inclusion, Security and Resilience, and Everyday Dignity.
The doc raises an essential query in regards to the relationship between authorities and the folks it serves: what ought to residents count on from public establishments, and the way can these expectations be met? Its proposals cowl transport, healthcare, training, housing, enterprise, safety and public administration. The problem can be to show this broad programme into providers and enhancements that folks can establish of their communities.
For a commuter, governance could imply spending much less time on the street. For a dealer, it might imply predictable fees and a higher path to market. A guardian could measure it by the standard of a close by well being centre or college. These are the on a regular basis exams in opposition to which the manifesto’s ambitions will ultimately be judged.
There can be a model dimension to the doc. In enterprise, a model earns recognition by means of the expertise folks have with a services or products, not merely by means of promoting. Government isn’t any totally different. Public confidence grows when establishments carry out persistently, reply to complaints and ship what they’ve promised. The phrases ‘The Lagos Promise’ will carry weight provided that residents can join them with outcomes.
The expression ‘Gbese ni Ileri’, which presents a promise as a debt, offers the manifesto a pointed message about duty. A public dedication shouldn’t finish with an announcement. It creates an obligation to clarify what can be carried out, how will probably be funded, who can be accountable and when folks can count on to see progress. That is the usual by which the proposed programme have to be assessed.
Transport is one space the place the results of coverage are felt nearly instantly. For employees and merchants, a lengthy journey takes time away from household, enterprise and relaxation. Unpredictable journey additionally makes it tough for employers to plan and for small companies to maneuver items effectively. Improving mobility is due to this fact an financial and social concern, not merely an infrastructure ambition.
Hamzat’s proposals embody rising the state’s bus fleet from 1,000 to 4,000, extending the Blue Line to Okokomaiko and growing the Green Line from Marina to the Lekki Free Trade Zone. The agenda additionally consists of an interchange between the Red and Blue rail traces on the National Theatre, the Fourth Mainland Bridge, the Lekki-Epe Regional Road and the second section of the Opebi-Mende Link Bridge.
The proposed Omi Eko water transport programme is one other vital a part of the plan. It envisages 140 kilometres of water corridors, 15 ferry routes, 25 terminals and jetties, and 75 electrical vessels. For communities alongside the waterways, a dependable ferry service might supply an alternative choice to congested roads. Its success, nonetheless, will rely on security, affordability, reliable schedules and handy connections with different transport providers.
The enterprise proposals handle a totally different however equally urgent concern. Small companies, from neighbourhood retailers and workshops to rising service firms, present livelihoods and help native financial exercise. Their potential to develop is commonly affected by the price of doing enterprise, entry to finance, infrastructure and the complexity of coping with public businesses. The manifesto guarantees a extra supportive surroundings, together with higher entry to sources, abilities growth and a coordinated strategy to lawful fees.
Financial help alone won’t resolve the difficulties going through enterprise house owners. They additionally want dependable energy, entry to clients, clear rules and public establishments that don’t make routine processes unnecessarily tough. The impression of the proposed reforms can be seen in whether or not merchants, artisans, producers and repair suppliers discover it simpler to register, function, increase and make use of others.
Young folks face one other transition: shifting from training into work. Employers more and more look for sensible expertise and technical abilities alongside tutorial {qualifications}. Hamzat’s agenda consists of digital abilities programmes, vocational coaching, internships and stronger hyperlinks between training and trade. These initiatives might assist put together younger folks for obtainable alternatives, supplied the coaching is related and results in employment, enterprise or additional skilled growth.
Healthcare is probably probably the most private measure of public service. A pregnant girl, a guardian with a sick little one or an older individual managing a power situation wants greater than a coverage announcement. They want a facility inside attain, educated well being employees, important medicines and a system that may reply when therapy is required. The manifesto proposes to increase healthcare entry and strengthen public amenities throughout the state.
The commitments embody rising Maternal and Child Centres from 10 to fifteen and lengthening Ilera Eko protection to at least one in three residents. Proposed hospital initiatives embody a 150-bed Massey Children’s Hospital, a 280-bed Ojo General Hospital and a 150-bed Somolu General Hospital, as properly as new basic hospitals at Ogombo and Ibeju-Lekki. The manifesto additionally proposes upgrading 100 main healthcare centres.
The emphasis on main care deserves consideration. Large hospitals are essential, however native well being centres are sometimes the primary place residents flip for routine therapy, preventive providers and early prognosis. Their worth relies on staffing, gear, medicines, funding and correct supervision. Without these necessities, new buildings alone can not present the reliable service households want.
Education and housing additionally function prominently within the proposed programme. Building on EKOEXCEL, Hamzat’s manifesto units out plans for instructor growth, a overview of academics’ remuneration and a University of Medicine and Health Sciences. It additionally proposes internships and a management academy. On housing, it guarantees to finish 10 schemes and introduce mortgage preparations with a 10 per cent deposit, single-digit rates of interest and longer reimbursement intervals. The particulars of funding and eligibility will decide how accessible these alternatives turn out to be.
The inclusion agenda consists of Obinrin Eko, Omo Eko, Iyi Eko and One Lagos, alongside a proposed Child Protection and Nutrition Agency. These initiatives place consideration on ladies, kids and different teams whose wants require particular public intervention. Hamzat’s expertise as Deputy Governor since 2019 and his engineering background type a part of the management case offered alongside the manifesto. The endorsement of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and senior social gathering figures additionally frames the candidacy round continuity, whereas the proposals set out priorities for the subsequent administration.
The proposed Hamzat Compact is central to the manifesto’s accountability argument. It identifies 87 agency commitments and 13 aspirations, with measures supposed to make efficiency extra seen to the general public. These embody acknowledging complaints inside 48 hours, offering solutions inside seven days and resolving them inside 30 days. Town corridor conferences throughout the 5 IBILE divisions, annual scorecards and an unbiased Performance Council are additionally proposed. Their worth will rely on clear reporting and whether or not public issues result in motion.
For Lagos residents, the ultimate judgement can be made past the marketing campaign platform. It will come from the journey that turns into shorter, the well being centre that’s correctly geared up, the enterprise that may function with out pointless obstacles and the general public workplace that responds when approached. The Lagos Promise seeks to convey these expectations underneath the marketing campaign theme, ‘Lagos… Forward Together’. But a public model can’t be sustained by a theme or a checklist of commitments. Its standing will rely on what authorities delivers, how overtly it accounts for its efficiency and whether or not folks can see a distinction of their every day lives.
