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Mudashiru Obasa: Celebrating A Legislator Per Excellence, A Bridge Builder
By Musbau Rasak
On his election as the Speaker of the 8th Lagos State House of Assembly in 8 June 2015, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, assured Lagosians then, that he will preside over a Legislative House they will be proud of.
Rt. Hon. Obasa assured that under his Speakership, the Lagos State House of Assembly will always rise far and above the ‘common standard of excellence’.
As he celebrates his birthday on 11 November, it is pertinent to note that more than three years after his election as the head of the Legislative Arm of government in the state, his achievements in that period stand him out as the leading state lawmaker in Nigeria.
That Rt. Hon. Obasa is committed to legislative excellence is an open secret. It is well known that the Lagos House of Assembly Speaker is a leading light in the struggle for the emancipation of the Legislative Arm of Government and giving the Parliament Institution its rightful place in governance in the country.
“The Parliament is the bastion of democracy and for me it’s the most important arm of government, without the Parliament, there won’t be anything called Democracy hence it’s our collective duty to ensure the protection of the Parliament so that the interest of the people is protected,” Rt. Hon. Obasa had submitted in many of his interaction with people and the media.
More than three years into his tenure, Rt. Hon. Obasa has indeed been making waves as a Legislator per excellence.
As the leading lawmaker in the state, the Lagos Assembly Speaker has led by example in term of legislative duty. To date, he has initiated about six Private Member Bills, the first and only Speaker to have achieve that in Lagos history. It is also pertinent to note that most of his Private Member Bills have had direct positive impacts on the people of the state.
The Neighbourhood Watch Law is an example of such law. Apart from encouraging and promoting community policing in the state which has reduced crimes, the Law has led to the establishment of the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) which has given employment to thousands of Lagos youths.
Another Law worthy of note is the Anti-kidnapping Law which has reduced cases of kidnapping in the state.
Yet another law worthy of mention is the Cancer Institute Law which sought to create an Institute for research, prevention, detection and treatment of various types of cancer in the state.
Perhaps one of the greatest Laws that emanated from the Lagos Assembly under his watch is the Yoruba Language Preservation and Promotion Law. This Law, which was promulgated to preserve, promote Yoruba Language and prevent it from going into extinction, is another Private Member Bill from the Speaker and today it has improved the use of the language by youths especially students. Today, Yoruba Language is a compulsory subject in Lagos schools which has improved the promotion of the language.
As an administrator, Rt. Hon. Obasa has ensured that he kept with and improve on the tradition of constant training of lawmakers and staff of the Lagos State House of Assembly making them arguably the most trained in the country.
He introduced the live streaming of plenary sessions of the House, the first Parliament in Nigeria to do that and second in Africa after South Africa. He introduced and ensured the presence of the House on the Social Media with all its icons very active.
One of his greatest achievements is the introduction of the annual Stakeholders’ Meeting which takes place simultaneously in all the 40 constituencies in the state. This is the barometer for measuring the performance of each lawmaker annually while also giving the constituents the opportunity to lay their grievances and demands before the government. The reports from these stakeholders’ meetings thus, have served as annual major components of the state budget.
His leadership qualities are not doubt and today, he had steered the affairs of the state Assembly successfully making it the most peaceful Parliament in Nigeria.
As a bridge builder, he is not only a man of peace, he also upholds the philosophy of love sharing among the people. When he successfully engineered the defection of seven Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members of the House to the All Progressives Congress (APC) two years ago, the defecting members were unanimous in why they joined APC: Obasa is a bridge builder who had not only welcome them into the House with open arms but has also given them real sense of belonging in the affairs of the House despite their being members of the opposition party. “His leadership qualities are unique and we love the way he is leading us in the House,” they chorused.
Many still remember the leadership roles he played in bringing peace and tranquility to the fold of APC in Agege and beyond.
It’s noteworthy to submit that his achievements have not gone unnoticed as he has been honoured locally and outside the country for his efforts in promoting the Institution of Parliament and ensuring legislative excellence.
In February, Rt. Hon. Obasa was named the Best State Legislator in Nigeria by the Independent Newspapers Limited, publishers of Daily, Saturday and Sunday Independent newspapers.
In July, he was honoured and presented with a Certificate of Recognition by the African Bar Association (ABA) during their conference in Nairobi, Kenya.
In August, he was elected the Chairman of Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria during their conference in Lagos.
Today, Rt. Hon. Obasa rank as the most experienced lawmaker in Lagos State, having started his career as a lawmaker at the grassroots level when he served as a Councillor representing Ward E in Agege Local Government between 1999 and 2002 before his election into the House of Assembly to represent Agege Constituency 1 since 2003.
Indeed, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa is worth celebrating.
Many Happy Returns Sir.
Musbau Rasak is the Chief Press Secretary to Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa
At least 23 people were killed in a series of suspected suicide bombings, police in Nigeria’s northeastern city of Maiduguri said on Tuesday.
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More than 100 other people were injured in the blasts that took place on Monday evening in the capital of Nigeria’s restive Borno state.
No group has claimed responsibility for the suspected attacks.
The deadly blasts come after a military post was attacked overnight Sunday to Monday, which authorities blamed on suspected Islamist militants.
This sad incident is coming barely two weeks after Primate Elijah Ayodele, the Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church specifically warned against attacks in some states. He mentioned these states while calling on security operatives to pay close attention to them.
These were his words:
“Another attack is coming up in these following states where the military must watch carefully and intelligently; Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, Niger, Borno, Kwara and Kogi state. They want to do a deadly attack, it’s preventable but it depends on how they will handle it. I have told you about the danger coming up.”
@primateayodele
Unfortunately, some of our military agencies don’t believe spiritual intelligence can save the country from so much danger hence, their neglect of this prophetic warning but now, it has been fulfilled with the miliary losing credibility by the day while Primate Ayodele continues to gain momentum.
Likewise, At least 26 passengers and crew sustained varying degrees of injuries on Monday following an accident involving the Kaduna–Abuja train, according to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
Opeifa explained that the train departed Rigasa in Kaduna at 7:15 a.m. and was approaching Asham station around 9:16 a.m. when a loud bang was heard after the power car and trailing locomotive collided with one of the passenger coaches.
In July 2025, Primate Ayodele asked nigerians to pray not to see train mishap on the Kaduna-Abuja route.
@primateayodele #nigeriantiktok🇳🇬 #fulfillment #train #abuja #primateayodele
“Let’s pray not to see train mishap in Abuja-Kaduna, Kaduna-Abuja route.”
This has also been fulfilled.
The project ends decades search for investors, boosts Nigeria’s blue economy
By Prince Adeyemi Shonibare
Nigeria’s maritime sector is set for a major transformation following a landmark agreement involving the world’s largest container shipping company, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), which has secured a 45-year concession to build, manage and operate a modern container terminal at Snake Island Port in Lagos.
The project, to be developed in partnership with Nigerdock, marks one of the most significant private sector investments in Nigeria’s port infrastructure in recent decades and is expected to strengthen the country’s role as a major maritime gateway in West and Central Africa.
For Nigeria, the agreement brings to close decades of efforts to attract large-scale investors to develop Snake Island Port, a strategically located maritime asset in Lagos.
Long-standing concession history
Snake Island’s maritime facilities date back several decades. In 1992, the Federal Government granted a 99-year concession for the island’s port and industrial facilities to Nigerdock, a major maritime engineering and logistics company.
Nigerdock was later privatised and is currently operated by the Jagal Group owned by Nigerian industrialist Maher Jarmakani.
Over the years, the Island Container Terminal fell into disrepair, requiring major rehabilitation and modernization to meet modern global shipping standards.
The new partnership with MSC is expected to transform the port into a state-of-the-art container handling facility capable of attracting larger vessels and increasing Nigeria’s cargo throughput capacity.
Buhari administration approved the project.
The investment framework for the Snake Island development was approved in May 2023 by the Federal Executive Council under then President Muhammadu Buhari.
The approval authorised total private investment of approximately $974.1 million for the project under a Public-Private Partnership structure, including the 45-year concession period.
At the same time, the Federal Government also approved two other major maritime infrastructure projects:
• Development of the Ondo Multipurpose Port in Ilaje, Ondo State, with $1.48 billion in private investment and a 50-year concession.
• Expansion and development of the Burutu Sea Port in Delta State, involving $1.2 billion in private investment and a 40-year concession.
These projects form part of Nigeria’s broader effort to develop its blue economy and expand maritime trade capacity.
Construction partners
Engineering and construction of the Snake Island container terminal will be handled by:
• ITB Nigeria Limited
• DEME Group
ITB Nigeria Limited is part of the Chagoury Group and owned by the Chagoury family, while DEME Group is a globally recognised Belgian marine engineering and dredging company with extensive experience in port construction.
MSC profile
Founded in 1970 by Italian shipping entrepreneur Gianluigi Aponte and his wife Rafaela Aponte-Diamant, MSC has grown from a single cargo vessel into the largest container shipping company in the world.
Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the company operates in more than 155 countries and serves over 500 ports worldwide, with a fleet of roughly 900 container ships and over 200,000 employees globally.
The MSC Group also operates major logistics and maritime businesses including inland logistics through Medlog, cruise tourism through MSC Cruises, and port terminal operations across several continents.
According to Forbes, the estimated net worth of MSC founder Gianluigi Aponte is about $43.9 billion as of February 2026, placing him among the world’s richest shipping magnates. The company remains privately owned by the Aponte family, with both founders holding equal ownership stakes.
Management comments
Speaking on the development, MSC Group President Diego Aponte said the company is committed to strengthening its operations in Nigeria and across Africa.
“We are proud to expand our presence in Nigeria through this important infrastructure project. The Snake Island terminal will enhance service delivery and improve port efficiency for our customers and partners in the region,”
Chief Executive Officer of Nigerdock, Maher Jarmakani, described the agreement as a major milestone for the Nigerian maritime sector.
“We are delighted to partner with MSC in developing a world-class container terminal that will enhance Nigeria’s logistics capabilities and support economic growth,” he said.
Economic impact
Industry analysts say the project could significantly strengthen Nigeria’s maritime economy by expanding cargo handling capacity, reducing congestion at Lagos ports and attracting additional international shipping traffic.
The development is also expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs across maritime operations, logistics, transport services and port-related commercial activities.
Infrastructure expansion
Beyond the port development, plans are also underway for Nigeria’s first underwater tunnel, linking Ahmadu Bello Way in Victoria Island through Snake Island and connecting the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway with the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway corridor through Badagry.
The tunnel project is expected to significantly improve freight movement and road connectivity between Lagos ports and national transport networks.
Strategic milestone
With the entry of MSC into the Snake Island development, industry observers say Nigeria is taking a significant step toward modernizing its maritime infrastructure and positioning itself as a regional hub for global shipping and trade.
For a project that has waited for decades for major international investors, the Snake Island concession represents a turning point in Nigeria’s port development strategy and a strong signal of global confidence in the country’s maritime future.
By Prince Adeyemi Shonibare
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