Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, announced that the administration has funneled over N700 billion into road rehabilitation throughout the last decade and a half. During a recent radio interview, he explained that the state’s surging population has placed immense strain on local facilities, necessitating an urgent increase in budgetary allocations to close the existing infrastructure gap.
To combat road deterioration, the Lagos State Public Works Corporation has scaled up its efforts significantly. The department has grown from 14 maintenance units to 34 teams of engineers tasked with patrolling the 9,911 roads across the region. Hamzat emphasized that road construction in the area must be paired with robust drainage systems to manage the state’s low-lying geography and prevent flooding, comparing the necessity of water management to that of cities like New York.
Regarding housing, the Deputy Governor argued that simply building structures is insufficient. Instead, he called for a sustainable mortgage system to help average citizens become homeowners, noting that current economic conditions make property acquisition much harder than it was during the era of late Governor Lateef Jakande. Hamzat dismissed claims that projects are limited to specific affluent areas like Lekki, insisting that the government distributes resources across all local council regions.
As he prepares for the 2027 election cycle, Hamzat highlighted his extensive tenure as a public servant, including roles as Commissioner for Science and Technology and Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure. He asserted that this deep professional history provides him with the necessary insight to address the ongoing challenges in housing, education, and healthcare for the people of Lagos.
