Lagos APC governorship candidate, Dr Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat, has outlined an ambitious development blueprint featuring 4,000 buses, expanded rail and water transport networks, affordable homeownership schemes and stronger community security as key priorities of his proposed administration.
With the 2027 Lagos governorship election approaching, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Dr Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat, has unveiled a 100-point development agenda that seeks to address some of the state’s major infrastructure and social challenges.
The proposals, which place transportation, housing, security, water supply and environmental management at the centre of his campaign, were presented on Friday during the unveiling of the APC manifesto and campaign song at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, formerly the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.
Hamzat, who is the incumbent Deputy Governor of Lagos State, said his vision was to build a state where development translates into better living conditions and opportunities for residents across different communities.
A major component of the proposed agenda is an expansion of public transportation, with Hamzat promising to increase the state’s bus fleet from about 1,000 to 4,000 vehicles. The target, according to him, is to provide daily transportation for one million passengers.
His transportation plans also include further investments in the rail system, with a proposed extension of the Blue Line to Ogbebe-Mindene and the establishment of an interchange connecting the Blue and Red lines at the National Theatre Station.
He also pledged to engage the Federal Government on the proposed extension of the Green Line from Marina.
Projecting further growth in rail transportation, Hamzat said the Blue Line was expected to carry 250,000 passengers daily when it reaches Trade Fair Station early next year.
On road infrastructure, the APC candidate identified the activation of the Fourth Mainland Bridge through partnerships as one of his priorities. He also promised to accelerate the regional road project along the Lake Yembe axis and begin the second phase of the Ogbebe-Mindene Link Bridge to connect with the Third Axial Road.
Water transportation is another major feature of the proposed mobility strategy. Hamzat said his administration would develop an additional 140-kilometre water transport corridor, optimise 15 ferry routes, rehabilitate 27 of the state’s 47 ferry terminals and acquire 75 electric ferries.
The broader objective, he explained, would be to create a connected transport system in which road, rail and waterways operate under a common ticketing and scheduling arrangement.
“Lagos is a water state. The lagoon must therefore be our third highway. One ticket, one timetable, one integrated service across rail, road and water,” he said.
Affordable housing and homeownership
Beyond transportation, Hamzat identified housing affordability as another area requiring sustained government intervention.
He promised to complete several housing developments already underway across the state while introducing homeownership arrangements that would make it easier for residents to acquire properties.
The projects mentioned include Egbo Igodo Clusters 2 and 3, Lagos Homes Shongote Do Phase 2, Lagos Homes Ipeche Phases 2 and 3, the workers’ village at Ipaja and Beacon Apartments at Ipaja.
He also proposed mortgage arrangements featuring an initial payment of 10 per cent, single-digit interest rates and extended repayment periods, with private-sector partnerships expected to support the delivery of affordable housing.
Community security and public safety
On security, the APC candidate promised to strengthen the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency and extend its reach to all wards across the state’s 20 local government areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas.
His proposals include wider streetlight coverage, increased CCTV surveillance in residential communities and the establishment of a state intelligence centre to address cybercrime, financial crimes and organised criminal activities.
Hamzat also promised to improve the working conditions of security personnel through additional recruitment, training, better accommodation and welfare packages that reflect prevailing economic realities.
However, he said strengthening security operations would go hand in hand with accountability. He proposed an independent mechanism for reviewing complaints against officers and the agency.
Water infrastructure and environmental management
Access to potable water also featured prominently in the 100-point agenda.
Hamzat disclosed that a 17-million-gallon water treatment facility was under construction and had received funding. Upon completion, the facility is expected to extend clean water access to an additional six million residents.
He further pledged to rehabilitate 24 micro and mini waterworks, repair existing water mains and expand the public water distribution network.
On environmental management, the candidate proposed a more efficient waste collection system, with a target of achieving 95 per cent coverage through improved coordination and optimisation of Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators.
He also listed the completion of transfer loading stations at Olusosun and Solis 3, as well as a recovery facility and a waste-to-energy plant at Agbara, among his proposed environmental projects.
Another aspect of the plan is the formal integration of approximately 30,000 Lagos residents involved in informal waste collection and sorting into the state’s waste management structure through training and other support programmes.
APC leaders rally behind Hamzat
Speaking at the manifesto presentation, Lagos APC Chairman, Hon. Cornelius Ojelabi, described the occasion as a statement of the party’s intentions and commitment to the future of the state.
He said the manifesto represented a development roadmap that the party intended to pursue in partnership with Lagos residents.
“A manifesto is a covenant between a political party, its candidate and the electorate. It is a commitment to translate vision into action and promises into tangible results,” Ojelabi said.
Representing the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), former Lagos Deputy Governor, Princess Sarah Sosan, expressed confidence in Hamzat’s experience and capacity to continue the state’s development programme.
She argued that successive administrations had established a development foundation that should be strengthened rather than discarded.
“We have chosen right. Our candidate is cerebral and very committed to delivering the job. He is the best man for the job, and every member of the GAC attests to this,” she said.
Sosan acknowledged the contributions of successive administrations led by President Bola Tinubu, former governors Babatunde Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode, and incumbent Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to Lagos’ development.
She maintained that continuity should not prevent innovation, but should allow future administrations to build on previous experiences and improve existing policies.
“Continuity does not mean that we should refuse to change. It means that we must learn from experience and improve on it. We must plan well and prepare effectively for the future, and that is why Dr Hamzat’s experience fits into this need,” she said.
She consequently called on party members and Lagos residents to support efforts to sustain the state’s development trajectory.
Also speaking, Director-General of the PBAT-KOH Campaign Council, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, emphasised the importance of inclusiveness in the state’s political and development process.
He maintained that no resident should be marginalised or denied opportunities because of ethnic background, stressing that the campaign’s vision should accommodate the diversity of Lagos.
Obanikoro said the 2027 election should be determined by the quality of ideas and candidates’ ability to deliver practical solutions rather than personality-driven politics.
He identified infrastructure, healthcare, economic expansion and employment generation as areas requiring sustained attention, noting that despite the achievements of previous administrations, important development gaps remained.
“Lagos cannot afford to stagnate. It cannot afford to move backwards. It must move forward,” he said.
He urged APC members and leaders to maintain party unity and strengthen grassroots mobilisation as preparations for the 2027 election gather momentum.
