Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Obafemi Hamzat, on Friday unveiled a 100-point manifesto promising a child protection and nutrition agency, a state wealth fund and a public service delivery office within his first 100 days in office if elected governor in 2027.
Hamzat presented the manifesto, titled The Lagos Promise and described as the “Hamzat Compact,” at the launch of his campaign theme, “Lagos, Forward Together,” organised by the Lagos APC PBAT-KOH Campaign Council 2027 at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, Iganmu, Lagos.
Seven pillars, 100 pledges
The manifesto is built around seven pillars: People First, Renewal, Opportunity, Machinery of Government, Inclusion, Security and Resilience, and Every Citizen.
Hamzat said 87 of the 100 pledges were firm commitments within the powers of the state government, while 13 were aspirations dependent on consultations with the federal government, courts and other institutions.
He also promised to publish a scorecard through which residents could assess his administration’s performance.
“If one of them is not delivered, it will be noted, and I must own it,” he said.
First 100 days
Hamzat said his first major legislative move would be a bill before the Lagos State House of Assembly to establish a Child Protection and Nutrition Agency. The agency, he said, would ensure that every child below 18 was either in school or learning a trade, and had adequate food.
He also pledged to create a Lagos State Service Delivery Office through an executive order. Chaired by the governor, the office would publish baseline data for measuring the administration’s commitments.
A third early priority, according to the candidate, is the creation of a Lagos State Wealth Fund with an independent board and published accounts, intended to preserve resources for future generations.
Hamzat further promised service charters across government offices, with complaints acknowledged within 48 hours, answered within seven days and resolved within 30 days.
“Accountability will not wait for the end of my term. It begins in my first 100 days,” he said.
Healthcare and education
On health, Hamzat promised to increase maternal and child centres from six to 15, complete ongoing hospital projects and build two new general hospitals in Ogombo and Ibeju-Lekki. He also pledged to upgrade 100 primary healthcare centres to flagship status and recruit more doctors, nurses and midwives.
He cited ongoing projects including a new 150-bed Massey Children’s Hospital, a 280-bed general hospital and the Shomolu General Hospital project, expected to provide 150 beds.
In education, the APC candidate promised to strengthen the EkoEXCEL programme in public primary schools, expand technical and vocational training, pursue a University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Lagos and review teachers’ compensation packages.
“We will review your compensation package, so that your pay matches the work we demand from you,” he said.
Jobs and businesses
Hamzat argued that businesses, rather than government, would create most of the jobs Lagos needs, and pledged to remove obstacles to their growth.
His proposals include a single schedule of local government charges, simpler business permits, improved access to credit and a defined share of state procurement for qualifying small businesses.
He also proposed a vocational placement scheme under which technical school students would spend six to 12 months with employers, with the state paying 40 per cent of their stipends. Artisans, he said, would receive free workplace-based skills certification in languages they understand.
Hamzat said the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund had disbursed more than N15 billion to over 21,000 businesses, with supported businesses creating more than 300,000 jobs.
Transport, housing and environment
On transportation, Mr Hamzat promised to extend the Blue Line rail to Okokomaiko, work with the federal government on the Green Line from Marina to the Lekki Free Trade Zone, and connect the Blue and Red lines at the National Theatre station.
He also pledged expanded ferry services, integrated ticketing across road, rail and water transport, dredging of an additional 140-kilometre water corridor and procurement of 75 riverine vessels.
“Lagos, we must know, is a water state. The lagoon must therefore be our third highway,” he said.
On housing, he promised to complete ongoing projects and develop additional homes through private-sector partnerships, with mortgages requiring a 10 per cent deposit, single-digit interest rates and longer repayment periods.
On the environment, Hamzat set a target of 95 per cent waste collection coverage, promising to strengthen private sector participation, complete transfer loading stations at Olusosun and Solous III in Alimosho, develop a waste recovery facility and complete the waste-to-energy project at Agbowa.
The pledge comes amid persistent waste-management challenges in Lagos, where collection services remain uneven across communities and disposal infrastructure is under pressure.
Sanwo-Olu, APC leaders endorse candidate
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu urged Lagos residents to support Hamzat, describing him as an experienced public servant who had been central to major decisions and projects during their seven years in office.
The governor recalled that Hamzat sought the governorship in 2018 but stepped aside after party leaders asked him to allow Mr Sanwo-Olu to emerge as candidate. He said Mr Hamzat later served loyally as his running mate.
“In seven years, there has not been one day, not one, when I had to wonder whose side my deputy was on,” Sanwo-Olu said.
He cited the COVID-19 response, the Blue and Red rail lines and the arrival of the first ship at the Lekki Deep Sea Port as major undertakings in which Mr Hamzat played a role.
Framing the candidacy as a continuation of APC-led administrations from Bola Tinubu through Babatunde Fashola, Akinwunmi Ambode and himself, the governor said: “There has been one government. There has been one direction. There has been one voice. This is not the time to experiment with Lagos. This is the time to consolidate.”
Lagos APC chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, described the manifesto as a covenant between the party, its candidate and voters. He called for continuity, but said it should not excuse complacency.
“Continuity must not mean complacency. It must mean building on proven achievements, correcting identified shortcomings, and pursuing greater progress with renewed determination,” he said.
Former Lagos Deputy Governor Sarah Sosan, speaking for the state’s Governors’ Advisory Council, also endorsed Mr Hamzat, saying Lagos should build on policies and projects that had worked.
“Lagos is not for experiment,” she said.
The APC leaders urged party members to mobilise support for Hamzat ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
