Leader of the Senate proposes regional investment compact, infrastructure priorities at Lagos Physical Planning Summit
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The Leader of the Senate, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, CON, has called for strategic investments, stronger regional cooperation and improved coordination between physical planning and financing to consolidate Lagos State’s development gains and sustain its economic growth.
Bamidele made the call while delivering the keynote address at the second Lagos Physical Planning Summit, held at the Convention Centre, Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. His address, titled “Diagnosis to Delivery: Positioning Lagos for Strategic Regional Development and Priority Investment Agenda,” focused on strengthening the link between development planning, investment and measurable outcomes.
The Leader of the Senate, a former Lagos State commissioner, commended the contributions of successive administrations to the state’s transformation, particularly acknowledging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as “the architect of the new Lagos.” He noted, however, that Lagos’ growing population and economic significance demand sustained innovation in infrastructure development, housing, transportation and environmental management.
To strengthen implementation, Bamidele proposed a six-point Plan-to-Delivery Framework encompassing high-impact project prioritisation, alignment of physical plans with budgets, clear institutional accountability, coordinated infrastructure development, transparent project information and measurable performance indicators. He emphasised that the success of development initiatives should be assessed by improvements in residents’ quality of life.
He also advocated a Lagos Spatial Development and Investment Pipeline to identify priority projects, their costs, financing requirements, risks and expected outcomes. Highlighting transportation and logistics, affordable housing and urban regeneration, drainage and flood resilience, essential urban services, and digital infrastructure as key investment areas, he recommended infrastructure bonds, development finance, viable public-private partnerships and land-value capture as potential funding mechanisms.
Bamidele further identified the Lekki–Epe–Ibeju-Lekki, Ikeja–Oshodi–Apapa, Yaba–Surulere and Badagry–Ojo corridors as areas requiring strategic attention. He called for continued digital planning reforms, including online development approvals, satellite monitoring of land-use changes and public access to zoning information, to improve transparency, efficiency and investor confidence.
A major proposal in his address was the establishment of a Lagos-to-Southwest Spatial Development and Investment Compact involving Lagos, willing Southwest states, federal institutions, private-sector investors and development partners. The initiative would coordinate transportation networks, economic corridors, flood-risk management and cross-border infrastructure, with an agreed project pipeline and implementation roadmap. He cited the proposed Olokola Deep Sea Port in Ogun State as an opportunity to strengthen an integrated Lagos–Ogun industrial and logistics corridor.
Beyond the policy discussions, the summit provided a reunion for Bamidele as he reconnected with former colleagues and trusted allies from his years in Lagos State public service. Among those he met were Mr Muiz Banire, SAN, former Legal Adviser of the All Progressives Congress and former Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, and Professor Bamidele Badejo, former Lagos State Commissioner for Housing. Banire served under Tinubu’s administration, while Badejo served during the administration of former Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola. Their reunion reflected the enduring professional relationships forged through years of public service.
The Leader of the Senate also pledged the National Assembly’s support for Lagos’ development through legislation and oversight of federally funded infrastructure projects, within its constitutional mandate. He concluded that sustained investment, regional collaboration and effective implementation would help Lagos build on its achievements, improve mobility and housing affordability, strengthen flood resilience and create productive jobs, while positioning the wider Southwest for shared prosperity.
Strategic Communications Lead, Office of the Leader of the Senate