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By Lukman Olabiyi
As dawn broke over Tafawa Balewa Square penultimate Sunday, thousands of Lagosians gathered not just for songs of praise but for reflection, gratitude and renewed hope.
Beneath the open skies of Lagos Island, Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu stood before the crowd with a message that was both deeply personal and profoundly political: 2026 is a year he intends to make count.
For Sanwo-Olu, this is no ordinary year. It is his last full year as governor of Lagos State, a moment he describes as one that compels him deliberately and decisively to deliver lasting value for the people of the state.
Speaking at the 2026 Lagos Annual Thanksgiving Service themed, “Grateful for Unfailing Mercies,” the governor struck a tone that blended faith, accountability and urgency.
“We are only four days into a new year, with 361 days ahead of us. Each day is filled with promise and opportunity to improve our state and the lives of our people. Lagos will not waste this abundance,” he told the congregation.
The event organised by the First Family of Lagos State in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs, the thanksgiving service was more than a religious gathering.
It was a symbolic reminder of how faith has been woven into Lagos’ governance culture, a tradition Sanwo-Olu traced back to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he described as the father of modern Lagos.
As praises echoed through the square and prayers were offered for the state and the nation, the governor paused to acknowledge what he called God’s enduring mercy over Lagos, a city that thrives despite its challenges, pressures and relentless pace.
For many in attendance, the moment felt intimate. The First Lady, Dr (Mrs) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, reading from Psalm 89, reinforced the atmosphere of reflection, while clerics prayed for President Tinubu, the Lagos State Government and residents across the state.
Beyond the hymns and thanksgiving, the governor’s message carried a clear promise: consolidation.
After six and a half years in office, Sanwo-Olu says his administration will build firmly on its gains through the THEMES+ development agenda.
At the heart of this promise is the proposed 2026 budget — aptly named, “The Budget of Shared Prosperity.”
With an expenditure profile exceeding ₦4 trillion, the budget is designed to support what the governor described as a model Lagos: cleaner, safer, more prosperous, resilient and inclusive.
Anchored on four pillars — a human-centred approach, modern infrastructure, a thriving economy and effective governance — the budget, currently before the Lagos State House of Assembly, is expected to be the financial engine powering his final push.
“This is my last full year as governor. For that reason, I am deeply driven to make this year one of extraordinary meaning and benefit for all of us,”Sanwo-Olu said candidly.
For ordinary Lagosians, the promises of 2026 are best understood not in figures, but in places — hospitals, roads, bridges and public facilities that shape everyday life.
Among the projects slated for completion and commissioning this year are Ojo General Hospital, the new Massey Children’s Hospital, a Psychiatric Hospital in Ketu Ereyun and the Central Food Security Systems and Logistics Hub in Epe.
These facilities, the governor noted, are designed to strengthen healthcare delivery and food security for millions.
In communities across Ikorodu, Alimosho, Ikeja, Eti-Osa and Ibeju-Lekki, long-awaited road projects are expected to ease movement, boost commerce and reconnect neighbourhoods.
From the Igbogbo–Bola Ahmed Tinubu–Igbe Road to the Opebi–Mende Link Bridge, and from the Lekki-Epe Expressway Phase 2A to township roads in Magbon and Alade, the emphasis is on impact where it matters most.
There are also plans for youth and sports centres, housing projects, water schemes, waste management plants, court buildings and the ambitious Omi Eko project, all part of a vision to improve quality of life across the state.
The service drew a wide cross-section of Lagos society: Deputy Gov. Dr Obafemi Hamzat, and his wife, Oluremi; Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa; current and former public office holders; traditional rulers, religious leaders and political stakeholders.
Yet, beyond the dignitaries, the gathering reflected something broader, a shared desire for continuity, stability and progress in a city that never sleeps.
As the final prayers were offered and the music faded, the message lingered: 2026 is not just another year on the calendar for Lagos.
It is a closing chapter for one administration and, potentially, a defining one.
For Sanwo-Olu, it is a year of gratitude, urgency and resolve. For Lagosians, it is a year filled with expectation — that promises made at thanksgiving will be fulfilled in roads driven on, hospitals visited, and lives quietly improved across the state.
