By Olufunke Cole
Success as they say is very predictable indeed. For many Lagosians who monitored his career trajectory under the then Governor(s) Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Babatunde Raji Fashola, Akinwunmi Ambode, it was easy to know that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was a man who had not just cut his political teeth but was truly schooled in the art and science of governance.
But the naysayers and political detractors never gave him a fighting chance at the time.
To make matters worse, just a few months in the saddle, Nigeria experienced the worst health crisis ever following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Unfortunately, Lagos State became the Guinea pig in the whole set-up!
While many in his shoes would just have wriggled their hands in the air in total dejection albeit accept defeat in the face of the clear and present dangers posed by the pandemic, Sanwo-Olu not only rose to the occasion but later became the poster boy of how to manage the pandemic of this kind and magnitude in Nigeria and pan Africa, judging by the accolades and plaudits he earned at home in Nigeria, from the World Health Organisation, other world bodies and the comity of nations in general; who were in the forefront of managing the global pandemic.
But not many people know that Governor Sanwo-Olu was able to perform with the help of a magic wand!
Yes, yours truly can truly testify (pardon the pun) that certain forces, yes some forces worked hand-in-hand with Mr. Governor!
Phew! It’s not what you think! I can tell you for free that some benevolent forces indeed helped the governor.
Still wondering who these forces are? A penny for your thoughts: the governor deployed the public private partnership (PPP) template to drive many of the intervention programmes that have so far been implemented in the state.
Has it worked? Certainly these have worked to telling effects judging by the degree of successes recorded on the one hand and the different retentions and iterations that have followed through since the first experiment with the PPP model.
But what is so special about this PPP model in the first place, you may tend to ask?
It’s a big deal and this is why. The idea behind Lagos PPP model is indeed noble.
The brainchild of Babatunde Raji Fashola, the Office of Public-Private Partnerships (OPPP) is an agency created by the 2011 PPP Law of Lagos state whose primary objective is to facilitate the development of public infrastructure or public assets and provide social amenities and other facilities for Lagos state through public private partnerships.
Under Sanwo-Olu the PPP project portfolio covers a wide variety of infrastructural developments that have contributed towards the betterment of Lagosians and are closely aligned with the THEMES Agenda of the Lagos state government towards building a greater Lagos.
From mass rail projects, housing, food security, commerce and industry, agroallied businesses, healthcare, Lekki-Epe Airport, Lekki Deepsea Port, Dangote Refinery, to mention just a few, the PPP model has been a game changer all the way!
Just like the previous years, the state government has restated its commitment to work with the private sector to further grow the economy of the state in 2024.
Bukola Odoe, the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on public private partnership (PPP), gave this hint recently at a public forum.
Justifying the need for the PPP model, Odoe said there was a need to look ahead and build on the achievements of the state government in the last four years, especially in the delivery of public infrastructure.
Speaking at an interactive session with members of staff, she said 2024 will be a year to attain key goals of the state government and the office of PPP will ensure necessary support to actualise the THEMES + Agenda of the Sanwo-Olu- government.
“The aim is to strengthen and renew partnerships to launch even more ambitious and impactful projects that align with the laid out plans in the THEMES+ development agenda of Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
“The Office of Public Private Partnerships remains committed to fostering productive partnerships that promote the development of Lagos state, contribute to the well-being of its residents, and position Lagos as a leading city in public infrastructure development,” she said.
The special adviser assured that her office will work assiduously to drive economic growth and development across the state by harnessing the expertise and efficiencies that the private sector can bring to the delivery of more public infrastructure.
Highlighting her office’s commitment to ensure effective collaboration with critical stakeholders, Odoe mentioned that there are numerous initiatives outlined that will benefit residents of the state as she seeks support of members of staff and investors to achieve the goals in the coming years.
Still wondering why Sanwo-Olu is succeeding in his quest to change the development narrative of the Centre of Excellence? Look no further: PPP is doing the magic!