● Foreword Written by ThisDay Deputy Editor, Wale Olaleye
Renowned prose stylist and biographer, Dr. Lanre Alfred, has released a seminal new work titled “The Man Who Carried a City”, a richly layered literary biography of Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu. The release of the book marks a heartfelt tribute to the governor’s 60th birthday, which comes up on June 25, 2025.
Alfred, often hailed as the “Doctor of Letters” for his lyrical style and meticulous documentation of contemporary Nigerian history, has once again delivered a compelling account of leadership forged in adversity and refined by vision. This new title, which stands as his eighth book, joins a distinguished collection of works such as The Titans…The Amazing Exploits of Nigeria’s Greatest Achievers, Pacemaker – Triumphs of Igho Sanomi at 40, and Dapo Abiodun: The State House As His Pulpit.
Nigeria At 60’, Highlife – Amazing Lifestyles of Nigeria’s Rich and Famous” “The Lion of Afia Nsit -Triumphs of Scott Tommey at 45;” and “Julius Rone…The Jewel of the Delta.” Nigeria @ 65 etc
In “The Man Who Carried a City,” Alfred meticulously captures the evolution of Sanwo-Olu’s public life, from his formative years to his emergence as the governor of Nigeria’s most complex metropolis. Published by Old English Partners, the all-colour, all-gloss coffee table book spans fourteen chapters and over 250 pages, adorned with high-resolution photography and rendered in Alfred’s signature poetic prose.
The book opens with the chapter titled “The Clockmaker’s Spawn,” which traces Sanwo-Olu’s upbringing and early influences, drawing metaphoric lines between timekeeping and his approach to governance: precise, anticipatory, and deeply structured. Another standout chapter, “Lagos in His Lungs,” explores how Sanwo-Olu’s entire being is fused with the soul of the city, how his professional, spiritual, and civic sensibilities breathe in rhythm with Lagos’ heartbeat.
In “The Politics of Listening,” Alfred paints Sanwo-Olu not as a man merely issuing directives but as a public servant deeply attuned to the pulse of his people, translating citizen voices into state policy. Other powerful chapters include “His Tailored Creed”, which explores how his fashion reflects governance philosophy; “2020… The Year Lagos Trembled”, a haunting portrait of Sanwo-Olu’s leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and #EndSARS crisis; and “Legacy as a Living Covenant,” a visionary meditation on Lagos’ future under his stewardship.
The foreword to the book, penned by Olawale Olaleye, Deputy Editor of ThisDay newspaper, reinforces the depth of Alfred’s literary offering. Titled “His Burden of Grace”, Olaleye describes the biography as “probing and profound,” adding that “Dr. Alfred’s book has not only done justice to the leadership of Sanwo-Olu as he steps into the sixth floor on June 25th, 2025, it has also done so without taking anything away from the truth of the accounts of his stewardship thus far.”
Olaleye writes further, “From one crisis to another, Governor Sanwo-Olu has experienced such hard-to-believe baptism of fire in the last seven years… Yet, he has taken his travails of leadership with equanimity and rare grace, a quality that sets him apart and establishes a different standard for whomever eventually succeeds him.”
Dr. Lanre Alfred explained that the decision to write “The Man Who Carried a City” was not merely a literary endeavor, but a heartfelt tribute to a man whose governance defies the noisy theatrics of politics and replaces it with quiet, consistent devotion to the people. “Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu,” Alfred noted, “is not simply a public servant. He is a civic artisan, meticulous, selfless, and deeply humane. He governs with empathy, listening more than he speaks, and building more than he boasts.”
Alfred continued: “We all know that these days, governance has been reduced to soundbites and spectacle, but Sanwo-Olu has shown that power can be wielded with grace, and leadership can thrive on humility. He has mastered the difficult art of presence; of being visibly committed to the people without being performative. This book is my way of preserving that rare philosophy of service.”
Citing the country’s chronic amnesia as a critical flaw in its cultural and political memory, Alfred said, “One of the great failings of our nation is our inability to document the journeys of those who have truly served. Nigeria is poor not for lack of heroes, but for lack of memory. We do not archive greatness when it blooms among us; we let it wither in silence. I wrote this book because Sanwo-Olu’s story—his sacrifices, his vision, his silent triumphs—must not be left to the mercy of rumour or forgetfulness.”
For Alfred, the Governor’s legacy is not just brick and mortar, rails and bridges, it is the quiet strength of a man who bore the weight of Lagos with uncommon composure, from the darkest moments of 2020 to the enduring pressures of rebuilding a megacity. “It would be unjust to history,” he said, “to let such a profound burden of grace pass undocumented.”
According to Alfred, this volume is more than a birthday gift; it is a civic intervention. He regards “The Man Who Carried a City” as a historical compass for youth and leaders alike, especially in a time when society yearns for authentic role models.
The biography not only chronicles the achievements of Governor Sanwo-Olu, from infrastructural renaissance to social investment, crisis management to cultural revitalisation, but also captures the soul of the man behind the office. In “Ibijoke”, a moving chapter on the First Lady of Lagos, Alfred explores the bond between husband and wife as a stabilising force in Sanwo-Olu’s journey, depicting love not as leisure but as legacy.
With “Sixty Portraits in a Single Soul” as its poetic coda, the book closes by distilling six decades of service, sacrifice, and civic calling into a gallery of defining moments that mirror not just Sanwo-Olu’s life, but Lagos itself.
As Nigeria looks toward the future, “The Man Who Carried a City” stands as both a mirror and a map, reflecting the trials of leadership and charting paths for those who would dare carry a city on their backs.
