The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday addressed Heads of State and Government at the United Nations High-level Meeting on Climate Action and the Just Transition, sharing the stage with Governor Gavin Newsom of California and taking the voice of Africa’s largest city to the Trusteeship Council Chamber at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The meeting, put together by the Office of the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, was held during the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly and was opened by the Secretary-General and the President of Türkiye. It brought world leaders together to confront three urgent questions: energy transition, adaptation and finance.
Governor Sanwo-Olu and Governor Newsom took their lecterns side-by-side, less than a week after the Lagos Governor’s visit to Sacramento to mark the California Legislature’s Sister State Resolution with Lagos. Their joint appearance placed the partnership between Africa’s largest urban economy and the largest state economy in the United States squarely on the world stage.
Governor Sanwo-Olu said he was proud to stand alongside Governor Newsom of California, stressing that strong partnerships and collaborations are needed to tackle the climate crisis.
He said: “I am particularly proud to stand here alongside Governor Newsom of California. We need strong partnerships and collaborators. No one can do it alone.”
Asked by the moderator how Lagos, the largest urban area on the African continent, is protecting its people from floods, rising sea levels and extreme urban heat, Governor Sanwo-Olu said for a State of more than 22 million people, climate and development cannot be separated.
He said: “For Lagos, climate action is about turning ambition into opportunity: protecting our people, strengthening our economy and building a more resilient and prosperous State for generations to come. Climate action is not separate from development. It is central to how we build our future.”
The Governor reminded the meeting that States and Regions hold the powers to deliver up to 80 per cent of climate implementation worldwide, and said Lagos regards that responsibility as an opportunity. He pointed to the transition to cleaner, more efficient transport for the more than 5.2 million vehicles on Lagos roads, and to the State’s drive to turn the over 5,000 tonnes of solid waste it processes every day into economic value through recycling, circular-economy approaches and clean energy.
He said: “These are not abstract climate policies. They are decisions that can create jobs, improve services, strengthen resilience and make everyday life better for millions of people.”
Governor Sanwo-Olu said States and Regions need access to affordable, long-term finance that can help turn strong plans into infrastructure on the ground. He called on development finance institutions, investors and the private sector to see the opportunity in climate investment in emerging markets.
He said: “Our message from Lagos is simple: States, Regions and subnational governments are ready to deliver. We have the ambition. We have the responsibility. And increasingly, we have the solutions. Now we need to build the partnerships and mobilise the investment that will allow us to deliver them at scale.”
The address is the centrepiece of the Governor’s programme at UNGA 81 and Climate Week NYC, during which he also spoke at the Global Renewables Summit Leaders’ Dialogue, the Gates Foundation Goalkeepers and the UN Global Compact Africa–Caribbean session. He was accompanied by members of the State Executive Council. The meeting was webcast live on UN Web TV.
SIGNED
GBOYEGA AKOSILE
SPECIAL ADVISER – MEDIA AND PUBLICITY TO THE GOVERNOR OF LAGOS STATE
SEPTEMBER 23, 2026
