Today, we have come together again to celebrate the values of community development. Community development is at the heart of the policies of our administration and a key consideration in every government decision. It captures the vision and mission of our administration to continually work for the general good of the people.

At inception, we declared clearly our commitment to give governance to the citizens of this state; young and old, men and women, able and challenged.  We said in our manifesto that, where ever you come from, as far as you labour and add value to the productivity of our dynamic and vibrant state, our government shall work with you to make Lagos State a better, livable and more prosperous home.

Two and a half years after we signed that contract with you, we can confidently reflect on our policies, programmes and projects and assert that we have been true to our vision, we have been honest to our mission.

With the strategy of inclusive governance, we have empowered our Community Development Associations to act as credible sources of information on the needs of our people. We sample their opinions on the feasibility of new programmes and partner with them in the execution of projects.

There is no doubt that a lot has been done. Yet much more needs to be done to provide infrastructure in all facets of our community; create employment thereby, rehabilitating families and strengthening them to impart in our youths, values of integrity and intellect, hardwork and industry, without which the future of Lagos would be endangered.

This is why it is important to share with you our vision for 2018. Year 2018 is going to be a better year for Lagos. It is a year we hope to achieve phenomenal increase in the State’s ability to sustain itself by persuading more people to share in the burden of the transformation going on across the State.

We are all witnesses to the modest projects our administration has executed such as the re-construction of the Airport road, Light Up Lagos, the Oshodi Terminal, the Abule-Egba and Ajah bridges, the Agege Flyover, Waterways channelisation and Jetties, the Ikeja Bus Terminal, the Badagry Marina and the massive deployment of security personnel and equipment across the State.

What you have not seen, but which is on the way, is the implementation of the embedded power project which will bring electricity to every home in Lagos State. You have also not seen the reforms which we are going to execute in the transport sector which will ease connectivity in our State.

With your support through the performance of your civic obligations, we can safely commit ourselves to the conviction that by the end of Year 2018, our communities will be better with more youths gainfully employed and small business supported to grow.

With a home to return to and a community to live in, our dream of a more secure and prosperous state will be another Nigerian wonder.

Let me use this opportunity to congratulate the CDAs which emerged winners in this year’s competition for self-help projects for their efforts and urge others not to be discouraged that they did not win this year.

Ladies and gentlemen, patriotic and progressive community leaders, ours is a collective effort to make Lagos State a bigger, better and happier family. I call on you not to relent in your support to make Lagos great for all.

I thank you for listening.

Itesiwaju ipinle eko lo je wa logun.