As Lagos prepares to mark Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s 60th birthday on June 25, the occasion is shaping up to be more than just a milestone celebration it is a moment of reflection on the leadership of a man who has become synonymous with the resilience, ambition, and complexity of Africa’s most dynamic city.
While many public officials pass through the corridors of power, Sanwo-Olu is the kind who leaves footprints. His tenure has been defined not just by infrastructure projects and policy shifts, but by a visible, almost tactile relationship with the city he governs.
In recognition of this journey, a new commemorative book titled The Man Who Carried a City has been released. Authored by Lanre Alfred, one of Nigeria’s foremost biographers, the 250-page volume goes beyond the typical political profile. It offers a curated, compelling narrative that explores Sanwo-Olu’s life, values, and the trials that have shaped his time in office.
From his disciplined childhood to his technocratic rise, the book weaves personal history with public service. In chapters with evocative titles such as The Clockmaker’s Son and Lagos in His Lungs, Alfred draws a vivid portrait of a man whose identity is intertwined with the city’s pulse. The result is a unique blend of literary tribute and political analysis.
Sanwo-Olu’s leadership has not been without challenge. From the turbulence of the #EndSARS movement to steering Lagos through the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic, his administration has been tested in unprecedented ways. Yet through these storms, the governor has managed to maintain a calm, composed presence his policies evolving, his tone measured.
The book explores this in depth, particularly in a chapter titled The Politics of Listening, highlighting a leadership style grounded in engagement and responsiveness. Even Sanwo-Olu’s fashion choices are analyzed in His Tailored Creed, linking his signature understated style to a governance philosophy that values form, function, and focus.
Far from being a promotional puff piece, The Man Who Carried a City aims to offer perspective a rare commodity in the world of political literature. It reflects on Lagos as a living, breathing organism, and Sanwo-Olu as its current steward one whose imprint may long outlast his term.
As the city continues to grow, adapt, and strive toward greater heights, its governor turns 60 still very much in motion, still deeply engaged in the Lagos story. Now, with a book to his name and a legacy in the making, Babajide Sanwo-Olu steps into a new decade not just as a public servant, but as a defining figure in Lagos’ evolving narrative.
