Rhodes-Vivour pledges 100,000 homes, transport overhaul in first term
Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for Lagos State governor in 2027, has promised to deliver 100,000 housing units within his first term, establish a reporting channel for residents who face intimidation, and provide vocational training as a way of removing thugs from the streets.
Rhodes-Vivour, who ran for governor on the Labour Party platform in 2023, made the commitments on Thursday at a special town hall meeting organised by The Platform, a thought leadership initiative of The Covenant Nation in Lagos.
Responding to a question about his plans for the state and its people by 2027, he said his focus would be on building residents' capacity and localising opportunities down to the ward level so that people can secure jobs and skills.
According to him, the plan is not only about training but also about creating room for people to apply what they learn, with the programme anchored at ward and local government levels.
He said his government would pay attention to how Lagos residents, particularly young people, feel, noting that insecurity, harassment and intimidation are common, whether from police officers or from thugs.
To address the problem, he said thugs would be taken off the streets by giving them a different route to becoming productive members of society, linked to skill acquisition. Under the plan, he said, residents could learn trades such as tiling, bricklaying and POP free of charge at their ward level.
He added that when the government embarks on its housing programme, those trained would be engaged and paid above the minimum wage, which would help reduce the number of people on the streets and make Lagos safer.
On police intimidation, Rhodes-Vivour said help desks would be set up across the state, citing the trauma many residents carry from the EndSARS period. He said any young person facing intimidation from the police would have a number to call, and lawyers would step in to ensure unfair treatment is addressed and handled, with the state standing up for them.
The ADC candidate also said his administration would increase the housing stock and improve transportation networks.
He pledged to deliver 100,000 housing units in four years and to create a truly multimodal and affordable transport system across Lagos State, promising to complete all the rail lines within two years. He added that his government would enable private sector partnerships to ensure the state is better connected.
Rhodes-Vivour further stated that his administration would decentralise waste management by giving local governments a greater role, which he said would make the process more efficient. He also said a waste-to-wealth value chain would be created to generate energy from waste.
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