Lagos State must position itself as the human capital hub of the world to remain competitive and relevant in the global economy, the Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the 2027 election, Dr. Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat, has said.
Hamzat stated this while speaking on Journalist Hangout, a programme on Television Continental (TVC), where he said Lagos had the capacity to become a global centre for human capital development in the coming years. He described human capital development as a major priority for the state, stressing that Lagos’ rapidly growing and predominantly young population required greater investment in skills and human capacity.
According to him, there is a significant mismatch between the number of graduates produced and the skills demanded by employers. He noted that companies often struggle to find suitably skilled workers despite the large pool of graduates, making it imperative for government to strengthen the link between education, skills acquisition and employability.
Hamzat identified Artificial Intelligence (AI), cybersecurity and blockchain technology among the emerging fields Lagos youths should be trained in, saying the state must prepare its young population for opportunities in the global economy.
Addressing the issue of youth migration, popularly known as “Japa,” the Deputy Governor said government could not prevent people from travelling abroad in search of better opportunities. He argued, however, that the focus should be on producing more skilled manpower to fill critical gaps locally and internationally.
He cited the medical sector as an example, disclosing that the state government planned to establish a College of Medical Services capable of producing at least 1,000 medical professionals annually, compared with the approximately 300 currently produced by the Lagos State College of Medicine.
On waste management, Hamzat said Lagos was moving away from the conventional practice of dumping refuse towards a system focused on waste recovery, recycling and waste-to-energy initiatives.
He disclosed plans to establish four transfer stations across the state as part of a broader restructuring of the waste management system. He also said the Olusosun landfill would be repositioned rather than abandoned, noting that the facility had not outlived its usefulness.
According to Hamzat, accumulated waste at Olusosun is being evacuated while a new transfer loading station is being developed to reduce the quantity of refuse deposited directly at the landfill. He said the facility was expected to handle about 2,500 tonnes of waste daily, with a significant portion recovered or converted for productive use.
The Deputy Governor also attributed the prolonged turnaround time of waste disposal trucks to the poor condition of the Olusosun landfill access road. He said trucks previously spent between seven and 10 hours at the facility, compared with the earlier average of about two hours.
He disclosed that the government had repaired the problematic section of the road, reducing truck turnaround time to about one hour. He added that the combination of the repaired road and additional tipping points would further reduce congestion at the facility.
Hamzat also identified waste separation at household level as critical to improving waste management efficiency. He said failure to separate waste at source increases management costs by about 40 per cent, making household sorting an important component of the new system.
He further disclosed plans to integrate about 13,000 informal waste sorters into the formal waste management structure, saying the government would train and equip them rather than displace them. According to him, the initiative would transform waste sorting into a more structured source of employment.
On flooding, Hamzat said the state was strengthening the deployment of Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to monitor drainage blockages, canal-bank encroachment and illegal developments on floodplains.
He said the electronic GIS system would also help identify government officials who approve illegal developments and ensure that those found culpable are held accountable. Hamzat emphasised the policy, saying, “If it is not approvable, it is not buildable.”
To further tackle flooding, the Deputy Governor said the state had deployed about 1,000 personnel for environmental flood management, including clearing drainage channels and supporting flood-prevention operations.
He added that the government was also considering greater deployment of surveillance systems and sensors capable of detecting blockages in underground drainage infrastructure as part of efforts to improve flood monitoring and prevention across Lagos.
