Lagos State has reaffirmed its leadership in advancing sustainable urban development and green building practices, reinforcing Nigeria’s commitment to climate-smart growth.
The Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Electronic Geographic Information System and Urban Development, Olajide Babatunde, made this known at a workshop organised by the Green Building Council Nigeria (GBCN) in Lagos.
Delivering a keynote address on his behalf, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Urban Development, Segun Williams, said Lagos has remained at the forefront of climate-responsive urban growth.
“This dialogue aligns with our commitment to advancing sustainable development, green energy and green building practices. Lagos has long been a pioneer in climate-responsive urban development. We are not only implementing reforms but actively working with partners to create scalable, climate-smart solutions that can be adopted nationwide.”
Williams stressed that as Nigeria prepares to showcase its climate progress at COP30, there is a need for urgent and collective efforts to transform the country’s built environment into a driver of sustainability and resilience.“Lagos is ready and willing to share lessons, tools and frameworks to help other states implement the national action plan. But we must move together and we must act now,” he added.
The President of GBCN, Danjuma Waniko, commended Nigeria’s contribution to global green building initiatives.
“We are proud to be part of the global ‘Be Bold on Buildings campaign’. This is Nigeria’s opportunity to lead by example in Africa and ensure that buildings become central to climate solutions rather than part of the problem,” he stated.
Highlighting the scale of the challenge, the GBCN Director of Research and Innovation, Omoyemi Olayiwola, stressed the importance of measurable impact.
“The built environment accounts for nearly 40% of global energy-related emissions. We must move beyond policies on paper to actions that deliver measurable results. The urgency of the climate crisis demands bold, coordinated action across all levels of government and sectors,” he said.
Also speaking, GBCN’s Technical and Innovation Officer, Sangeetha Ramaraj, noted strong alignment on key issues such as building codes, finance and data, but identified gaps in enforcement and the need for better subnational implementation of national policies.“This workshop helps surface these challenges and chart a way forward,” she said.
Participants included representatives from the Lagos State Ministries of Housing, Environment and Water Resources, Urban Development, the State Resilience Office, the University of Lagos, private-sector partners such as Lafarge, and officials from Osun State.
