Vice President Kashim Shettima has described Lagos State as the economic hub of Africa, saying the state has produced some of the continent’s most influential business figures and remains a major driver of Nigeria’s economic growth.
Shettima stated this on Monday while speaking at the Invest Lagos Summit 3.0, where he highlighted the state’s contribution to national development and wealth creation.
According to him, Lagos has continued to serve as a centre for innovation, investment and economic transformation in Nigeria.
“Lagos is the live wire of our continent. Lagos is the furnace in which our ideas are tested against the discipline of execution,” he said.
The Vice President noted that the state has consistently transformed national aspirations into practical achievements through effective leadership and institutional continuity.
He described Lagos as a critical driver of Nigeria’s economic progress, adding that the city demonstrates the country’s ability to convert ideas into tangible development.
Shettima also credited Lagos with producing some of Africa’s wealthiest businessmen, including the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, and the Chairman of the BUA Group, Abdulsamad Rabiu.
“It was Lagos that gave Africa its richest man, not Kano. Aliko Dangote is a Lagos man,” he said.
He added that Rabiu also emerged from the Lagos economic environment, underscoring the city’s role in wealth creation across the continent.
According to Shettima, “Lagos made almost everybody who is who in Nigeria,” adding, “I am also a Lagos boy.”
The Vice President further commended the state’s governance structure, saying Lagos has evolved into a model of economic resilience and sustainable development.
He said the state had demonstrated that “a place may be crowded without being confused, prosperous without being complacent, and ambitious without losing its soul.”
Shettima also praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for laying the foundation for the state’s continued growth.
According to him, Tinubu “planted the tree whose shade has sheltered a succession of leaders committed to futurist ideas, institutional continuity, and disciplined governance.”
He noted that sustained reforms and leadership over the years have transformed Lagos from a city once challenged by urban pressures into one of Africa’s leading economic centres.
The Vice President added that Lagos contributes significantly to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP, and hosts a large concentration of the continent’s leading technology startups.
“Of the nine unicorns in Africa, five are based in Nigeria, all in Lagos,” he said.
