- Sanwo Olu Launches Photo Book on Leadership, Resilience and Lagos’ Transformation
- The book, titled “Sanwo Olu: Against All Odds A Photo Story of Resilience in the Face of Adversity
- Reflects on COVID 19, EndSARS, Rail Projects
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo Olu, has unveiled a new photographic book documenting some of the defining moments of his administration, describing it as a story of resilience, leadership and the enduring spirit of Lagos.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the book, titled “Sanwo Olu: Against All Odds A Photo Story of Resilience in the Face of Adversity,” was authored by the governor’s Executive Assistant and official photographer, Ademola Olaniran.
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Presented at a ceremony held at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, the publication chronicles key events from Sanwo Olu’s first term and the early part of his second term, including the COVID 19 pandemic, the EndSARS protests, major infrastructure projects, economic reforms and social intervention programmes.
Speaking at the launch, the governor said the publication is unusual because it documents the journey of a serving administration rather than looking back after its tenure has ended.
According to him, while the book focuses on his time in office, its true story is about Lagos and the resilience of its people.
“Look closely and you will find the true subject of this book, Lagos itself. The market woman rebuilding her store, the nurse who had not seen her family for weeks during the pandemic, the young person demanding to be heard, the engineer working on a bridge project and the schoolchild walking into a classroom that did not exist a year before. This is the Lagos story,” he said.
Sanwo Olu reflected on some of the biggest challenges his administration faced, including the COVID 19 outbreak, the EndSARS protests, the Abule Ado explosion and several building collapses, describing them as defining moments that tested both the government and residents.
Despite those challenges, he said Lagos continued to make progress through investments in transport, housing, healthcare, education and food security.
The governor highlighted the completion of the Blue and Red Rail Lines, the commencement of operations at the Lekki Deep Sea Port and other infrastructure projects as some of the administration’s major achievements.
He also attributed Lagos’ continued growth to continuity in governance, noting that successive administrations had built on existing projects instead of abandoning them.
“There is one photograph in this book that I treasure above all others. It shows four governors of Lagos jointly holding a model train. Four administrations. One dream. That image represents the greatest secret behind Lagos’ success, continuity,” he said.
Sanwo Olu acknowledged the contributions of President Bola Tinubu, former governors Babatunde Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode, saying each administration contributed to building modern Lagos.
The event attracted top government officials and political leaders, including Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who represented Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Governors Hope Uzodinma of Imo State and Babagana Zulum of Borno State, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, Lagos Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly Mudashiru Obasa and members of the Lagos State Executive Council.
In his remarks, Deputy Governor Hamzat described the publication as more than a collection of photographs, saying it captures leadership, resilience and the importance of preserving history.
Author Ademola Olaniran said the project was undertaken by a team of 11 professionals who spent years documenting the activities of the Sanwo Olu administration across Lagos.
According to him, the book was created to faithfully preserve important moments in the state’s history, adding that the responsibility of storytellers is to document events truthfully for future generations.
