The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has been nominated for the Governor of the Year (Innovation) award by Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited, publishers of New Telegraph, Saturday Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph newspapers.

The nomination was formally conveyed in a letter presented at the Governor’s Office in Alausa, Ikeja, by a delegation of the media organization led by its Managing Director/Editor in Chief, Mr Ayodele Aminu.

In the letter signed by Aminu, the Board of Editors and Panel of Judges said Sanwo-Olu was selected for his “visionary leadership and bold innovations that are redefining Lagos as a 21st-century city.”

The organization cited landmark initiatives such as the hosting of Africa’s first E1 all electric powerboat race, the expansion of solar-powered street lighting, large-scale road construction, the Detty December creative economy drive, and the $410 million Omi Eko Waterways project as key factors behind the nomination.

Reacting, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, described the nomination as a validation of the state’s innovation agenda. “This recognition affirms that Lagos is deliberately building a future anchored on sustainability, creativity and smart governance,” Omotoso said.

A civic group, the Lagos Innovation Forum, also welcomed the nomination, saying it reflected policies that directly impact residents. “From mobility to energy and creative enterprise, Lagosians can feel the difference.

This nomination speaks to innovation with human benefits,” the group said in a statement. Similarly, a public affairs analyst, Adedoyin Hassan, noted that the award consideration “positions Lagos as a reference point for subnational innovation in Africa.”

Sanwo-Olu is expected to receive the award at the New Telegraph 2025 Awards Ceremony scheduled for Friday, February 13, at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.