An intimate portrait of Babajide Sanwo-Olu as governor, By Kunle Ajibade

Many of the photographs also tell the stories of the capacity building for workers in the state; the empowerment of youth and women in different Skills and Acquisition Centres; the building of more modern classrooms, the maintenance of the old ones and the provision of learning materials for public primary and secondary schools; the construction of 8,272-bed hostel and the faculty of management science building for Lagos State University; the establishment of the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy; the partnership with Oando Clean Energy Limited to promote clean environment by rolling out electric mass transit buses; the laying of fibre ducts across Lagos State to make internet connectivity faster; the creation of business-friendly environment and investment opportunities for new and established entrepreneurs and industrialists; the investment in technological development and science research; the provision of more affordable housing; the building of the largest Rice Mill in Africa located in Imota; the building of Fresh Food and Logistics Market; the steady supply of vehicles, modern communication gadgets and other up-to-date equipment to the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police and the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps to strengthen their crime fighting power; the building of more fire stations and emergency service headquarters; the construction of the John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History; the renovation of Glover Memorial Hall; and the unwavering support for cultural events which include sports, music, festivals, films, heritage preservation, among others.

The historic Federal High Court was burnt down; seventeen police stations were set ablaze; the Lagos State bus terminals at Berger, Yaba and Oyingbo were damaged and many buses in them burnt down; the Nigeria Ports Authority’s offices in Lagos were attacked; the Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government was burnt down with over forty cars within its premises; the multi-billion naira DNA and forensic Centre, first of its kind in West Africa, was completely destroyed; a section of the palace of the Oba of Lagos was vandalised; the headquarters of TVC Communications was shattered; and the thugs did not only damage the City Hall, they defecated in many of its offices.

This is self-evident in the large numbers of the digital sharp photographs in the book devoted to the achievements of his administration: the construction of roads and bridges in different parts of the state; the inauguration of LAGRide, operated in partnership with the CIG Group; the replacement of the buses burnt down during the #EndSARS violence; the building of more bus and Jetty terminals; the improvement in the commercial operations of LAGFERRY; the acquisition of more boats for swift search-and-rescue missions in case of any waterways accidents; the huge investments in Lekki Deep Seaport to make Nigeria a prominent maritime hub in west and central Africa; the Blue and Red Lines Intra-city Rail projects with all the compliments of modern stations; the fully equipped healthcare facilities built across the state; and the modernisation of waste evacuation and management processes.