At a roundtable with world leaders during Climate Change Action Week in London, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu dissected the state’s climate challenges and argued that Africa is being shortchanged in global climate finance.

Speaking at the Guildhall, Sanwo-Olu joined a peer review session with governors and mayors on the realities on the ground, the shift from vulnerability to resilience, and how to move investment from commitment to delivery.

He noted that Lagos runs a state of close to 25 million people, where power generation and distribution were nationally controlled until the sector’s unbundling last year now allows states to participate across the spectrum.

“There’s a point where Africa has been shortchanged completely,” he said, citing figures that the continent holds 60 per cent of global solar capability and 30 per cent of key minerals, yet receives only about two per cent of climate investment. He argued that scale and relevance require investing in underserved places.

Sanwo-Olu said parts of Lagos sit below sea level, leaving the city vulnerable to coastal erosion, tidal surges and flash floods that can last 10 to 12 hours. He said the state had installed over 45,000 solar street lights and was investing in off grid and mini grid solutions that had raised supply in some communities to 20 or 21 hours a day, striving for a balance between accessibility, affordability and sustainability.