Hamzat: Lagos Needs A Leader Prepared For Its Next Chapter

BY GBENGA ADEYINKA

Lagos is not just another state. It is Nigeria’s economic powerhouse, a city of enormous ambition, enterprise and possibilities. It is the place where dreams come to be tested, where people arrive every day looking for opportunities and where millions of Nigerians, regardless of where they come from, have built their lives.

But Lagos is also a complicated city. Its population is growing. Its infrastructure is under constant pressure. Transportation, housing, healthcare, security, education, the environment and job creation all require increasingly sophisticated solutions. That is why I believe the next governor of Lagos needs to be more than a good politician.

Lagos needs a problem-solver. A builder. A leader who understands systems, infrastructure, technology, business and government. Most importantly, Lagos needs someone who already understands the machinery of the state.

And this is where my choice comes in. My vote is for Dr. Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat.

I am not making this choice because I believe he is perfect. I don’t believe any anybody is. I am making it because, when I look at his educational background, professional experience and years of public service, I see a man whose preparation is particularly suited to the challenges facing Lagos.

Education That Matters

Hamzat is an engineer by training. He studied Agricultural Engineering at the University of Ibadan, obtaining his B.Sc. in 1986 and M.Sc. in 1988, before earning a Ph.D. in System Process Engineering from Cranfield University in the United Kingdom in 1992. (You can fact check me)

Some may ask: What has engineering got to do with governing Lagos? Quite a lot, in my opinion.

Lagos is one giant interconnected system. Traffic affects productivity. Infrastructure affects business. Housing affects transportation. Technology affects government efficiency. Poor planning in one area inevitably creates problems somewhere else.

Someone trained to think in terms of systems and processes, therefore, brings a useful perspective to the job.

Before Politics, There Was Professional Experience

Another reason I find Hamzat’s profile compelling is that his career did not begin in politics.

His professional experience includes work with institutions and organisations such as Columbia University, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and Oando Plc, where he served as Chief Information Officer and Group Head of IT Strategy. (You can still fact check me)

That matters to me.

I believe public office benefits from people who have experienced the world outside government —people who have managed organisations, worked with systems, understood technology and operated in competitive professional environments.

Hamzat brought that experience into public service.

Then He Came Into Lagos Government

Hamzat became Lagos State Commissioner for Science and Technology in 2005 and later served as Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure between 2011 and 2015. He also served as Special Adviser on Works at the federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing. (No need to fact check this, it’s open knowledge )

Those roles are important because they speak directly to some of Lagos’ biggest needs.

Technology.

Infrastructure.

Planning.

Execution.

And governance.

He subsequently became Deputy Governor of Lagos in 2019 and was re-elected in 2023. In May 2026, he emerged as the APC candidate for the 2027 Lagos governorship election.

So when I look at his journey, I see something I consider valuable:

Engineer.

Technocrat.

Corporate professional.

Commissioner.

Federal public servant.

Deputy Governor.

That is a considerable amount of institutional experience.

Why That Experience Matters

Lagos does not need a governor who will spend the first two years learning how the system works. The next governor will inherit both the achievements and the problems of previous administrations.

He or she will need to understand what is working, what isn’t, what needs to be expanded and what needs to be completely rethought. That is where I believe Hamzat has an advantage.

He has been inside Lagos government for years.

He understands the bureaucracy.

He understands the political environment.

He has handled infrastructure.

He has handled technology.

He has worked in the private sector.

And he has had a front-row seat to the administration of Lagos as Deputy Governor.

Does that guarantee success? Of course not.

But experience doesn’t guarantee success; it improves preparedness. And I believe preparedness matters.

I Am Not Giving Anybody A Blank Cheque

Let me also make something clear.

My decision to support Hamzat does not mean I will suddenly stop asking questions. If he becomes governor, I will expect accountability.

I will expect better infrastructure.

I will expect improved transportation.

I will expect government to create more opportunities for young Lagosians.

I will expect better healthcare, education, security and housing.

Supporting a politician should never mean surrendering one’s right to demand performance.

My vote is not a blank cheque.

It is a vote of confidence.

Why Hamzat?

Ultimately, this is the question I have asked myself:

What kind of leader does Lagos need for the next chapter?

For me, the answer is someone with the education to understand complex systems, the professional experience to understand how organisations work, the political experience to navigate government and the institutional knowledge to hit the ground running.

When I look at Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat’s antecedents, I see those qualities.

I may be wrong.

You may disagree with me.

That is perfectly fine.

Democracy is not about everybody thinking alike.

But having considered the man, his education, his professional journey and his years of service to Lagos, I have made my choice.

Lagos is too important to be treated as a stepping stone.

It is too complex to be governed by trial and error.

And its future is too important for us to make our choices based only on emotion.

For the next chapter of Lagos, my vote is for Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat.

–Gbenga Adeyinka 1st, writes from Lagos