05/17/2011
Nigerian Leader Shares Post-Election Vision With U.S. Diaspora, Experts, Investors
The newly reelected governor of Lagos visited the United States capital this week to describe his vision for the next four years to opinion-leaders from both continents. A highlight of the visit by Lagos Executive Gov. Babatunde Fashola was his remarks May 17 at an invitation-only reception hosted by the non-profit Constituency for Africa at Washington’s Army-Navy Club.
“Problems of law and order, the environment, education, health care, infrastructure, security—the same issues as any big city,” he said of his administration’s priorities following his re-election with a reported 82% of the vote to lead his nation’s most influential state. Lagos is also the name of the nation’s most important city, with a population of some 10 million.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria Robin Sanders, introduced him by saying her friendship and admiration has only increased through the years in observing progress under his administration and his plans for much more.
The Lagos governor spoke to an audience of about 35 at the club. The audience included Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, Professor Adebowale Adefuye to a half dozen key members of the governor’s administration, plus prominent representatives of Nigerian-U.S. NGOs, consultants and investors. At the invitation of former Ambassador Sanders, I attended on behalf of Eagle View Capital Strategies, which organized “The Nigerian Investment Forum” in February at the National Press Club as part of client services in this field.
Jacqueline Adams, the executive editor of Africa.com, provided in-depth coverage in her column here, “A Man to Watch: Babatunde Fashola, Executive Governor of Lagos State.”
Africa.com, A Man to Watch: Babatunde Fashola, Executive Governor of Lagos State,Jacqueline Adams, May 17, 2011. http://www.africa.com/blog/blog,a_man_to_watch_babatunde_fasholaexecutive_governor_of_lagos_state,289.html http://bit.ly/j7wXZG
This May has been a pretty good month for Babatunde Fashola. Fresh from his re-election as executive governor of Lagos State, Nigeria’s business capital, Fashola won high praise in a profile in The Economist. He then traveled to Washington, D.C. for a series of high-level meetings with America business and government officials.
