Sanwo-Olu's diamond beats and his memorable steps in the creative sector

By Akeem Lasisi

As Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, clocks 60, one of the factors that give his government an edge is the enduring impact he has made on the tourism, culture and entertainment scene. A governor passionate about the creative industry, in the past six years he has been in the saddle, he has seized every opportunity to dream big for the sector and push policies and programmes that elevate it. It is thus not surprising that he has many friends among Nigerian creative workers, all of whom will be wishing him a wonderful diamond birthday.

The movie industry is major in the country’s entertainment socioeconomic landscape and Sanwo-Olu has been showing it love. Only a few months ago, he hosted Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, producer of first A1 film on the continent, Makemation. Weeks after, he hosted the brains behind ‘My Father’s Shadow’, another film later screened at the 2025 Cannes Festival in France.

Of course, the industry remembers how the Sanwo-Olu administration gave N200 million grants to 37 filmmakers in 2022. The event was witnessed by notable producers and movie marketers, including Tunde Kelani, Paul Obasele, Keppy Ekpeyong, Tunji Bamishigbin, Francis Onochie, Foluke Daramola and Aina Kushoro, among others. This is apart from supporting the likes of Mo Abudu, Kunle Afolayan and the late Peace Anyam-Osigwe on capacity building programmes. In one of the state’s recent interventions, Lagos also hosted the annual summit of the Theatre and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria, while a film village is being built in Ejinrin, Epe, a collaboration between the government and Del-York Group.

Sanwo-Olu’s support for music is also consequential. Under him, the state has hosted several musical shows, including the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), which it is, interestingly, hosting again later in the year. The governor had received the AFRIMA’s management about a month ago, promising the show all the support it deserves. He had said on the occasion: ‘It was not difficult for us to make entertainment, tourism and everything in the creative space one of our cardinal objectives. We are very intentional because we realise that the creative industry is a place where the youth with a dynamic population want to be. It is also the largest employer of labour in different ways and means.

‘But, more importantly, it also helps to tell the African story; a story that the entire world has not heard, to be able to take it up and work with it. As a government, what we set out to do is to continue to give opportunity, hope and space for the creative people’.

In literature, Sanwo-Olu has equally stood to be counted. Perhaps because charity begins at home, this writer must quickly recall that the state government is part of the success story of the first edition of African Citations, an exhibition of poetry tributes I held at the MUSON Centre in December 2024. Through the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, Sanwo-Olu had extended more than institutional support to the event. Similarly, the government had hosted the 95th birthday of literary amazon, the late Mabel Segun, in February 2025, through the JK Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History in Onikan.With theatre steadily returning as a key component of Lagos entertainment, Sanwo-Olu is also giving the sub-sector attention. The biggest push seems to be the rebuilding of the Lagos Theatre in Oregun, which was vandalised during the 2020 EndSARS protests. The project, which has the founder of Thespian Theatre and Production’s founder, Ayo Jaiyesimi, as consultant, was recently unveiled and will bring the monument back bigger with state-of-the-art facilities.

Similarly, while the government supports the World Theatre Day and other related festivals, Sanwo-Olu had celebrated the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, at a colourful party he (governor) hosted when the legend clocked 90 in July 2024. This is as Sanwo-Olu was there for his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, when the latter produced Ola Rotimi’s Kunrunmi in 2024. On his government’s intimacy with the sector, Sanwo-Olu had said at the Kunrunmi premiere: ‘The play is produced by my media aide, Gboyega Akosile, and directed by Mr. Oladapo Muyideen. I firmly believe that our support for the arts and creative sector is crucial for fostering an environment where this industry can thrive. Our commitment is reflected in our investments in various initiatives, including training, manpower development, and arts promotion, among others’.

Lagos is a home to several festivals. Some of these feasts speak to tradition and culture while others are contemporary, even when they still echo beautiful elements in the people’s history, art and culture. The ‘Diamond Boy’ — Governor Sanwo-Olu — supports many of these events too. His government, in fact, organissed some of the recent festivals. The latter include the Afropolis Festival and Fanti Carnival. Last October, the maiden edition of the Afropolis Festival, held at the JK Randle Centre, rocked the city for about a week, as it attracted star musicians, painters, actors, producers, tourists and other stakeholders from different parts of the world.

As Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, therefore, marks his 60th birthday, there is a lot he can point to in the culture, tourism, arts and entertainment industry as his legacies. For one, veteran actress, Lanre Hassan, whom he presented a house, and some others the government had supported behind the scene, cannot but wish him more than a very beautiful and fulfilling celebration.

Core Achievements of Sanwo-Olu in the Tourism and Entertainment Industry

Disbursed N200 million as loan to 37 Nigerian film makers

Completed and commissioned the New Glover Hall, Lagos

Reconstruction of J.K Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture, Onikan, Lagos at an advanced stage of completion.

Renovated nine youth centres in Lagos Island, Badagry, Ikeja, Magodo, Abesan, Akowonjo, Ikorodu, Epe, and Isheri-Magodo

Construction of Film City on 100 hectares of land at Ejirin in Epe Local Government Area is on course.

Completed the four state theatres in Epe, Badagry, Ikeja and Igando.

Instituted N1 billion tourism palliative for operative of the sector to cushion the ef fect of Covid-19 on their businesses.
TRendy…

Held virtual entertainments in compliance with Covid-19 protocols. Some of the events held during this period included: Digital Lagos Party, Lagos Virtual Ileya Concert, and Independence Day Eve 12 hours of entertainment as well as the hybrid version of the Y2020 World Tourism Day.

Partnered two private firms to train 1,480 creative practitioners in digital film making, documentary, fashion, arts and craft etc. under an initiative tagged Lagos State Creative Industry Initiative

Completed and fully furnished the Glover Memorial Hall. The keys to the edifice was of ficially handed to the Facility Manager engaged to manage the Hall.