President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday inaugurated a reconstructed Lagos State Governors’ Lodge in Asokoro district of Abuja, using the ceremony to press a broader argument that public officials should be judged by the institutions and infrastructure they leave behind.
Represented by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, the President said public assets belong to Nigerians and must be preserved, upgraded and handed on to future generations.
“Public assets belong to the people,” he said, “and it is our responsibility as leaders to preserve what has been entrusted to us, improve it where necessary, and provide lasting infrastructure that future generations can inherit and benefit from.”
The new lodge replaces a structure demolished in October 2025 and is intended to serve as the official residence for Lagos governors and their families during engagements in the Federal Capital Territory.
Special Assistant on Media to the First Lady Busola Kukoyi in a statement said President Tinubu described the project as evidence of Lagos’s commitment to excellence and prudent management of public infrastructure.
Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu described the building as more than a residence.
He said it would function as an institutional center for government business, strategic meetings and the state’s dealings with the federal government – roles that remain important even though Nigeria moved its seat of government from Lagos to Abuja in 1991.
“Lagos deserves a rebuild, and that is what has happened,” Mr. Sanwo-Olu said.
The Governor said the facility, awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria PLC, was completed in roughly 15 months despite demanding engineering work, including excavation close to 10 meters deeper.
The building carries Lagos’s seal and motto, “Justice and Progress,” which Mr. Sanwo-Olu said reflects the state’s identity and its effort to deepen ties with the federal government.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, whose term ends in May 2027, said the lodge was designed for successive administrations rather than for his personal use.
“I believe a government should build things, not stay long for itself to enjoy,” he said.
Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat described the project as a renewed institutional presence for Lagos in Abuja, about 35 years after the state first established a presence in the capital.
He said it would support official engagements, hospitality, government business and contacts with diplomats and private-sector leaders.
The Governor also thanked President Tinubu for federal investments in Lagos’s roads, railways and bridges, saying the state’s more than 22 million residents appreciated the interventions.
The commissioning drew former Lagos governors Babatunde Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode, along with federal legislators, traditional rulers, state officials and business leaders.
