Lagos State Partners Time for Africa Foundation to Drive Sustainable Community Development

The Lagos State Government (LASG) has announced a strategic partnership with the Time for Africa Foundation, an international non-governmental organisation, to advance sustainable urban and community development across key sectors, including health, finance, education, agriculture, and social empowerment.

The Honourable Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Abayomi Oluyomi, disclosed this while hosting officials of the foundation, led by its Founder/CEO, Dr. Abiodun Olushola, at the Ministry of Finance Conference Room, Secretariat, Alausa. The meeting also had in attendance key members of the Lagos State Executive Council, including:

• Prof. Akin Abayomi, Commissioner for Health
• Mrs. Bolaji Cecilia Dada, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation
• Mr. Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education

The discussions focused on leveraging technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) to empower communities and improve service delivery across Lagos State.

Mr. Oluyomi described the collaboration as a timely development that aligns with the THEMES Plus Agenda of the Sanwo-Olu administration, which prioritises Education & Technology, Health & Environment, social inclusion, and sustainable economic growth.

He highlighted Lagos State’s upcoming Green Bond initiative, a first by any sub-national in Nigeria, designed to finance climate-resilient infrastructure and strengthen sectors such as health, environment, and housing.

“This Green Bond is a landmark achievement for Lagos State. It reflects our commitment to financing sustainable projects that directly impact lives while maintaining fiscal responsibility,” Oluyomi said, adding that innovations like securitisation and tokenisation of state assets are further driving Lagos’ rise as one of Africa’s largest economies.

Key Sectoral Insights

• Health: Prof. Akin Abayomi highlighted advances in precision diagnostics, AI-driven data management, personalised cancer care, and indigenous R&D, which are transforming Lagos’ healthcare system.
• Women Empowerment: Mrs. Bolaji Cecilia Dada outlined grassroots empowerment programmes, skill acquisition training, and startup equipment provision to boost socio-economic inclusion.
• Education: Mr. Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun reaffirmed the government’s commitment to free education, WAEC fee payments, modern classroom construction, and international collaborations with UNICEF and the World Bank to align with global best practices.

The Finance Commissioner confirmed that a follow-up meeting would include Commissioners for Environment, Science & Technology, Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs, and Rural Development, to formalise the partnership under the THEMES Plus framework.

In her remarks, Dr. Abiodun Olushola, Founder/CEO of the Time for Africa Foundation, praised Lagos for its visionary, globally-aligned policies, and reaffirmed the NGO’s readiness to collaborate through training programmes, international partnerships, and investor-backed initiatives.

“This partnership marks a turning point for scalable impact in Nigeria. We are excited to work with Lagos State to drive community empowerment using next-generation technologies,” Dr. Olushola stated.

Members of the foundation’s delegation, all alumni of Oxford and Cambridge Universities, included Prevena Mohan, Leo Way, Ethan Wang, Kahhu Pathnayak, and Daniel Chapman.