KEY POINTS
• Lagos seeks stronger partnerships and affordable long term finance for subnational climate action.
• Sanwo Olu says climate investment can support jobs, services and economic resilience.
• Lagos highlights cleaner transport, recycling, circular economy and clean energy initiatives.
• Under2 Coalition membership provides opportunities for Lagos to share solutions and attract partnerships.
MAIN STORY
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu has called for stronger partnerships and greater access to affordable, long term finance to help states and other subnational governments turn climate plans into infrastructure and other projects.
Sanwo Olu made the call at the United Nations High level Meeting on Climate Action and the Just Transition during the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The governor addressed the meeting as a representative of the Under2 Coalition, a global community of state and regional governments committed to ambitious climate action. The meeting, opened by UN Secretary General António Guterres and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Türkiye, focused on accelerating the energy transition, strengthening adaptation and mobilising climate finance.
Sanwo Olu said Lagos was seeking to translate its climate commitments into practical measures capable of protecting residents, strengthening the economy and improving the state’s resilience.
“For Lagos, climate action is about turning ambition into opportunity: protecting our people, strengthening our economy and building a more resilient and prosperous state for generations to come.
“Climate action is not separate from development. It is central to how we build our future,” he said.
He pointed to Lagos’s response to climate challenges associated with rapid urbanisation, including efforts to transition to cleaner transport and convert more than 5,000 tonnes of solid waste generated daily into economic value.
The governor said the state was also deploying recycling, circular economy approaches and clean energy solutions as part of its response to environmental pressures.
“These are not abstract climate policies. They are decisions that can create jobs, improve services, strengthen resilience and make everyday life better for millions of people,” he said.
Sanwo Olu also stressed the importance of cooperation among states and regions, arguing that subnational governments have a significant role in delivering climate action globally.
Standing alongside California Governor Gavin Newsom, he said Lagos’s participation in the Under2 Coalition had created opportunities to exchange practical solutions and develop partnerships with jurisdictions in other parts of the world.
He said Lagos would continue to share its experience as one of Africa’s largest and most dynamic economies while also learning from other jurisdictions.
The governor identified access to finance as a critical requirement for converting climate plans into infrastructure and other investments. He called on development finance institutions, investors and private sector players to recognise the investment opportunities available in emerging markets.
“States and regions need access to affordable, long-term finance that can help to turn strong plans into infrastructure on the ground.
“We need development finance institutions, investors and the private sector to see the opportunity in climate investment in emerging markets because the opportunity is enormous.
“Our message from Lagos is simple: states, regions and subnational governments are ready to deliver.
“We have ambition. We have the responsibility and increasingly, we have the solutions.”
Sanwo Olu said Lagos would need to deepen partnerships and mobilise investment to deliver its climate initiatives at scale.
THE ISSUES
- Access to affordable long term finance remains central to the ability of subnational governments to move climate commitments beyond plans and into infrastructure and other projects.
- Lagos is linking climate action with urban development through initiatives involving cleaner transport, waste management, recycling, circular economy approaches and clean energy.
- The state is also positioning international partnerships as a means of exchanging practical solutions and attracting investment for climate related projects.
- The governor’s focus on climate investment reflects the need to connect environmental action with economic outcomes, including jobs, improved services and greater resilience.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“For Lagos, climate action is about turning ambition into opportunity: protecting our people, strengthening our economy and building a more resilient and prosperous state for generations to come.
“Climate action is not separate from development. It is central to how we build our future,” – Babajide Sanwo Olu, Governor of Lagos State
“These are not abstract climate policies. They are decisions that can create jobs, improve services, strengthen resilience and make everyday life better for millions of people, – Babajide Sanwo Olu, Governor of Lagos State
“States and regions need access to affordable, long-term finance that can help to turn strong plans into infrastructure on the ground.
“We need development finance institutions, investors and the private sector to see the opportunity in climate investment in emerging markets because the opportunity is enormous.
“Our message from Lagos is simple: states, regions and subnational governments are ready to deliver.
“We have ambition. We have the responsibility and increasingly, we have the solutions. – Babajide Sanwo Olu, Governor of Lagos State
WHAT’S NEXT
Lagos will continue to build partnerships and mobilise investment to support the implementation of its climate initiatives at scale, while using its Under2 Coalition membership to exchange practical solutions with other jurisdictions.
BOTTOM LINE
Lagos is seeking affordable long term finance and stronger partnerships to move its climate plans into infrastructure and practical projects. The state is presenting climate investment as part of its wider development agenda, linking environmental action with economic resilience, jobs and improved services.
