The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday expressed interest in a mutually beneficial partnership between the Lagos State Government and Mastercard to drive technology, digitalization and innovation in the state.
Sanwo-Olu said his administration is open, willing and eager to make technology a way of life, adding that there is a lot the Lagos State Government and Mastercard can jointly develop and take forward in the area of technology.
He said this during a visit by Mastercard’s management team led by Dr Dimitrios Dosis, the President of Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, further emphasizing the importance of making technology a cornerstone of Lagos’ development.
Sanwo-Olu envisions Lagos as a hub for knowledge, innovation, and skills, with a focus on empowering young people to solve global challenges through technology and creativity.
The governor highlighted the need for real partnerships where Lagos and Mastercard collaborate to identify and solve pressing issues, particularly in smart city development and security.
“We are trying to build a lot of capacity in smart city and security. We don’t want people to come and give us handouts, we want a real partnership where we can identify the problem and come up with solutions” he said.
In response, Dosis affirms Mastercard’s commitment to partnering with the Lagos State Government, praising the passion and innovation seen within Lagos’ fintech community.
He expressed admiration for the Lagos state fintech community having met with a number of them prior to that day
According to him, Mastercard recognizing the potential for collaboration in various sectors, including finance and transportation aims to bring its technology expertise to Nigeria, having observed the innovations in those spaces.
