African cities must drive investment, economic growth – Sanwo-Olu

Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has emphasized the importance of African cities in driving investment and economic growth. According to Punch Nigeria, he made this statement while delivering a keynote address at a dinner in Washington, DC, where he received the 2026 Global Transformation and Good Governance Prize.

Sanwo-Olu cited Lagos as an example of how urban governance, infrastructure development, and private-sector partnerships can create an environment capable of attracting investment and driving economic growth. Punch reports that he noted Lagos, despite occupying less than 0.5 per cent of Nigeria's landmass, has a population larger than that of the Netherlands and contributes over a quarter of the country's economy.

The governor's comments were made at the 2026 Africa Business Investment Summit, according to Punch Nigeria, which was organised by the Millennium Excellence Foundation. Sanwo-Olu's statement highlights the growing importance of cities in Africa's economic transformation, particularly as the continent's urban population continues to grow.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch, Punch Nigeria — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.