Why Lagos Keeps Growing: Sanwo-Olu Links City’s Momentum to the Power of Its Stories
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has attributed the state’s enduring growth and global relevance to the stories that define its identity, describing Lagos as a city shaped as much by narrative as by infrastructure.
The Governor made this assertion during a fireside conversation at the 2026 Storytellers’ Conference, a gathering of creatives, photographers, writers, and young cultural influencers organised in Lagos by Nosa Asemota, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Visual Communications and Photography.
Held at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, Iganmu, the conference—tagged “Stories That Move Us”—drew a strong youth audience and positioned storytelling as a strategic force in shaping perception, development, and history.
Speaking on the theme “Culture, Heritage and the Creator’s Responsibility,” Governor Sanwo-Olu argued that cities, like people, are ultimately judged by the narratives attached to them. According to him, Lagos has grown into an economic powerhouse not because it is without flaws, but because its defining story is one of resilience, creativity, and relentless energy.
“Lagos is often described through extremes,” the Governor noted. “There is congestion, pressure, and intensity—but there is also unmatched creativity, opportunity, and drive. It is from this tension that Lagos has formed a distinct identity that fuels its growth.”
He explained that the city’s strength lies in its refusal to stagnate. Each achievement, he said, becomes a launchpad for further ambition, reinforcing Lagos’ image as a place that continuously reinvents itself.
Governor Sanwo-Olu emphasized that storytellers—whether in media, photography, film, or literature—carry a responsibility beyond entertainment. The stories they choose to tell, he said, influence how societies are valued, how people are perceived, and how history is remembered.
The conversation was enriched by contributions from key stakeholders in Nigeria’s cultural and creative space, including Mr. Idris Olorunnimbe, Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka, Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture; Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, Commissioner for Information and Strategy; and Hon. Idris Aregbe, Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism and Culture.
Also in attendance was His Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III, the Olu of Warri, who offered a broader continental perspective on storytelling. The monarch stressed that Africa’s image has for too long been shaped by external narratives that failed to reflect its humanity, values, and depth.
He urged African storytellers to reclaim their histories through authentic narratives that future generations can inherit with pride, noting that societies remembered positively are often those that intentionally curate their stories.
“Stories are not neutral,” the Olu of Warri observed. “They determine how nations are understood and how their futures unfold.”
The Storytellers’ Conference reinforced a growing consensus among leaders and creatives alike: that storytelling is not a soft pursuit, but a powerful instrument of culture, identity, and national direction.
Ekocity Magazine
City. People. Responsibility.
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