Obasa bets on data, security to recast Lagos suburb

Abdul Ganiyu Vinod Obasa, Chairman of Agege Local Government, is moving to overhaul one of Lagos’ most densely populated districts with a mix of infrastructure upgrades, targeted welfare and youth-focused investments, betting that cleaner streets and better data can help shift the area’s long-standing reputation.

In less than a year in office, the under-35 Council chief has prioritised sanitation, road rehabilitation, and school renovations, while building a local security network to curb crime and drug abuse.

“People have this negative connotation about Agege. It was something we needed to change,” he said in an interview with this reporter.

The Council has hired as many as 300 street sweepers and procured a tipper truck to clear drainage channels, according to Obasa.

Previously refuse-filled medians along Alfa Nla Capitol Road have been landscaped, while drainage construction is ongoing in flood-prone areas such as Kadiri Street and Okunola.

Twelve inner roads, including Ajakaiye, Elitana, and Adegbola, have been completed in seven months, with seven more scheduled this year, particularly in Ward D in Morikaz, one of the worst-hit zones for poor road networks.

Education is another pain point Obasa is prioritising. The administration says it has renovated 17 nursery and primary school blocks and plans to recruit 50 teachers. Selected schools are being fitted with ICT rooms and libraries, alongside two new seven-a-side football pitches aimed at youth engagement.

Security measures include a local outfit known as the Agege crime fighters, the installation of about 600 streetlights, and plans to deploy 25 CCTV cameras in high-risk areas.

To tackle youth unemployment and drug abuse, the council has expanded skill-acquisition centres covering fashion, leather works, software training, drone simulation, and content creation. One hundred youths have been trained in filmmaking, with 25 selected for further instruction at the Kunle Afolayan Film Academy.

The Local Government also signed a N180 million annual facility with the Lagos Development Trust Fund at 9 % interest, enabling small businesses to access loans of up to N1 million. An additional N100 million fund has begun disbursing grants to trained youths.

Central to the strategy is a resident card system designed to build a local database in the absence of updated census data. The card will determine eligibility for food subsidies, subsidised medicines from newly deployed health booths, and discounted services at two planned health complexes.

“It’s one thing to do infrastructure. When people are still poor, they will destroy those same things you are making,” the chairman said.