Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said Nigeria’s youthful population is a greater asset than its oil and gas reserves, calling for urgent investment in people to drive the country’s rise as a global power.
Speaking on September 16 at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) in Lagos, Mr Sanwo-Olu delivered the first Distinguished Lecture of 2025 — the first by a sitting Lagos governor. His address, titled “Lagos and Nigeria 2030: Projections of a World Power,” explored how Nigeria could strengthen its influence in the next decade.
“Above our oil and gas and above our marine and forest wealth, our most important assets are the people,” he said. “We must maximise our talents and potential if we are to take our place on the world stage.” The governor described Lagos as the “heartbeat” of the nation, saying its economic vitality would be central to realising President Bola Tinubu’s target of a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
He argued that world power was no longer defined solely by military might, but by a combination of economic strength, technology, culture, demographics, and global influence.
