Lagosians battling endless traffic gridlock, worsening floods, unaffordable housing and mountains of waste may see a radically different approach to the state’s problems if African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, wins the 2027 election.
Rhodes-Vivour has promised to attack the problems through an aggressive expansion of rail transport, affordable housing, improved inner-city roads, wetland protection, modern drainage and a new waste-management system.
He also ruled out making the proposed Fourth Mainland Bridge a priority, opting instead for a coastal road linking the Ibeju-Lekki and Ikorodu-Epe axes through shorter bridges that were cost-effective.
Unveiling his vision for Lagos in a television interview on Monday, the ADC candidate said his priority would be the quality of life of residents rather than the size of the state’s budget, internally generated revenue (IGR) or economic statistics.
“My vision is to make impact and enhance the quality of life of Lagosians. I’m not here to run a business. I’m not here to run a company. I’m here to impact maximally the quality of lives of Lagosians,” he added.
Rhodes-Vivour also took aim at the argument that Lagos needs a governor with extensive government experience, citing the late former governor, Lateef Jakande, as an example of a leader who came into office without prior government experience but, according to him, transformed the state through ideas and vision.
He questioned the value of what he described as years of political and administrative “experience” when major problems confronting Lagos remain unresolved.
The ADC candidate specifically criticised traffic congestion, poor waste management, flooding, inadequate affordable housing and deteriorating roads, describing the continued emphasis on “experience” without corresponding improvements in residents’ lives as “continuity of mediocrity.”
Rhodes-Vivour said Lagos should stop measuring success mainly by economic figures and begin measuring it by the number of residents who can afford decent housing, move around the city without spending hours in traffic and live in clean, flood-free communities.
On transportation, he promised to complete all planned rail lines within two years through partnerships with private-sector investors.
According to him, the Blue and Red lines, as well as planned Green and Orange lines, should be developed through a transparent procurement system that allows private capital to accelerate infrastructure delivery.
He argued that tying major transport projects solely to government finances had slowed development, insisting that private investors could deliver some of the projects more quickly if the procurement process was transparent.
Rhodes-Vivour said expanded rail connectivity would also help decentralise development and reduce pressure on the most congested parts of Lagos.
On housing, Rhodes-Vivour promised to make affordable accommodation a central plank of his administration.
The gubernatorial candidate said the housing crisis was particularly affecting young Lagosians and low-income residents who are increasingly being pushed away from areas where they work because they cannot afford accommodation.
He said his proposed policies would also address the plight of residents displaced by urban redevelopment.
Rhodes-Vivour argued that the government should be concerned not only about attracting major businesses and wealthy investors to Lagos but also about ensuring that ordinary residents can afford to live in the city.
On the recurring flooding that has disrupted communities across Lagos, he proposed a wetland protection policy and an end to what he called “haphazard sand-filling.”
“We have to stop haphazard sand-filling because that is what is actually causing the flooding,” he said.
He proposed stronger drainage management, properly maintained gutters and stilted structures for developments close to waterways instead of indiscriminate reclamation.
According to him, protecting wetlands would form part of a broader environmental strategy to reduce the impact of flooding.