Oluwatobi Adu 
LAGOS, Nigeria – Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has called for affordable, long-term financing to help subnational governments turn climate plans into infrastructure, saying states and regions have the solutions but need stronger partnerships and investment to deliver them.
Sanwo-Olu made the call on Wednesday at the UN High-level Meeting on Climate Action and the Just Transition during the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The governor appeared alongside California Governor Gavin Newsom, highlighting the growing sister-state relationship between Lagos and California and their cooperation on climate action, energy, technology, trade, innovation and investment.
“States, regions, and subnational governments are ready to deliver. We have ambition. We have the responsibility. And increasingly, we have the solutions,” Sanwo-Olu 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.”
Sanwo-Olu said climate action was central to Lagos’ development agenda because of the state’s large population and vulnerability to flooding, rising sea levels and extreme urban heat.
He identified transportation, waste management, urban resilience and clean energy as areas where climate action could also generate jobs, improve services and strengthen the state’s economy.
According to him, more than 5.2 million vehicles operate on Lagos roads, making cleaner transportation an important part of the state’s transition plans.
He also highlighted the potential to generate economic value from more than 5,000 tonnes of solid waste processed daily through recycling and circular-economy initiatives. “These are not abstract climate policies. These are decisions that can create jobs, improve services, strengthen resilience and make everyday life better for millions of people,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu said access to affordable financing remained a major challenge for developing cities and states seeking to implement climate projects at scale. “States and regions need access to affordable, long-term finance that can help turn strong plans into infrastructure on the ground,” he said.
He urged development finance institutions, investors and the private sector to view climate projects in emerging markets as investment opportunities. “We need development finance institutions, investors and the private sector to see the opportunity in climate investment in emerging markets because the opportunity is enormous,” he said.
The governor said the Lagos-California partnership demonstrated how subnational governments could move beyond formal diplomatic ties to practical cooperation in climate action, investment and innovation.
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Korede Abdullah 
