What Zambia’s Vice President discovered in Lagos will shock you

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Zambia’s Vice President, Mrs. Mutale Nalumango, was left astonished during her visit to Lagos as she uncovered the extraordinary strides the state has made in human capital development and gender inclusion.

On Thursday, Nalumango, accompanied by top Zambian government officials, paid a courtesy visit to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at Lagos House, Marina. What she saw and heard left her eager to strengthen ties between Zambia and Lagos.

“We have a long-lasting relationship between Zambia and Nigeria. It is a relationship that has not been interrupted by circumstances. We should speak and come together as brothers. There should be a new beginning every day,” she declared.

Her biggest revelation? Lagos is not just a bustling megacity—it is on a mission to dominate Africa’s future! Governor Sanwo-Olu unveiled a bold 30-year development plan designed to position Lagos as a powerhouse for talent in technology, sports, entertainment, and entrepreneurship.

“We know that Africa has the young population to be the leader of the world tomorrow. But we need to get them ready. We need to play our part. We need to ensure that we have a space in the room. We need to tell our own story and tell it convincingly,” Sanwo-Olu asserted.

He further emphasised Africa’s need for self-reliance, urging nations to break away from external dependence.

“We should do trade among ourselves first and facilitate development at all levels of government and the private sector to ensure that nobody is coming out of the continent to tell us what we already know. We should fix things ourselves,” he declared.

Perhaps the most striking moment came when Sanwo-Olu revealed Lagos’ unwavering commitment to gender inclusion.

“We ensure that we have full women’s participation in everything that we do. In fact, in our THEMES+ development agenda, which is our economic blueprint, we ensured that women’s inclusivity is critical in everything we do,” he stated.

Shocked yet impressed, Nalumango acknowledged the giant strides Lagos has taken and expressed Zambia’s eagerness to learn from the state’s success story.

With Lagos setting the pace for Africa’s transformation, the question remains—will other African nations rise to the challenge?