*Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State discloses the 30-year plan projects the building of a human-centric city in which every ‘Lagosian’ will have access to affordable, world-class education, healthcare, and social services

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has projected the ‘Centre of Excellence’ is set to activate a fresh 30-year development plan in pursuit of physical development, social growth and economic prosperity for the citizenry.

Governor Sanwo-Olu disclosed this development to business leaders and the Organised Private Sector (OPS) at an interactive meeting Tuesday, June 28, 2022, in Lagos.

The meeting, held at Commerce House, on Victoria Island, Lagos, was at the instance of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), report said.

Members of the diplomatic community also attended the forum.

The governor noted that the document titled, ‘Lagos State Development Plan 2052’, would be unveiled officially at the forthcoming 9th Economic Summit of the State (known as Ehingbeti).

According to Sanwo-Olu, the 30-year plan was developed with clear objectives from four strategic dimensions aimed at positioning the state to achieve its vision.

Sanwo-Olu further stated that each of the four dimensions in the development plan would be achieved through over 400 policy initiatives that would be implemented throughout the period.

“The Lagos State Development Plan 2052 has been developed with a set of clear objectives across four strategic dimensions, which are to position Lagos on the track to achieving its vision.

“The dimensions to this plan are to keep a thriving economy that will make Lagos a robust, healthy and growing economy with adequate jobs and strategic investments to sustain growth,” said he.

The governor also noted: “We are building a human-centric city in which every ‘Lagosian’ will have access to affordable and world-class education, healthcare and social services.

“There will be deliberate effort to keep modernising our infrastructure, by providing reliable and sufficient infrastructure that meets the needs of a 21st century city.”

The Lagos Governor said: “The plan will also bring about sustenance of effective governance. Lagos will have a supportive and enabling environment that creates opportunities for all Lagosians.

“This is a huge task that must be achieved between now and the nearest possible future.”

Sanwo-Olu stressed it is  believed the Lagos State new development plan would not be realised when the private sector – the drivers of the State’s economy – is not carried along in the implementation of the identified policy phases.

He commended the business community for supporting the Lagos State Government in dealing with arising issues in the challenging period of Coronavirus (COVID-19) pushback.

He acknowledged that more social burden could have trailed the pandemic, had the private sector not considered the Government’s entreaty that prevented mass retrenchment of workers in the thick of the health crisis.

The governor also outlined interventions initiated by the State Government in the areas of infrastructure, transportation, education, healthcare, security, environment and technology to improve ease of doing business in Lagos.

The governor stated: “In road construction, I make bold to say that our impacts are being felt across the State, because we have taken up the total rehabilitation of major roads and creating new highways.

“In the Central Business District of Victoria Island and Ikoyi, we have delivered key infrastructure projects that are improving mobility and giving businessmen new experience. Reconstruction of Idowu Taylor, Adeyemo Alakija, Adeola Hopewell is a major facelift we have signed off in this corridor.

“For the first time, we are seeing a sub-national Government building rail lines to improve mobility. Lagos is expecting two brand-new light rail projects in a few months and we took this audacious decision about three years ago to deliver this important transport infrastructure.

“Our intervention in education has yielded a highly encouraging outcome, given the results of our students in national examinations.

“All of these have confirmed that we are on the right track.”

In the last one year, Sanwo-Olu said Lagos had recorded massive influx of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the tune of $750 million in the technology sector, attracting global tech brands, such as Equinox, Google and Microsoft, among others, he said.

This, he said, is complementing the rollout of metropolitan fibres by the State Government to promote e-commerce, traffic management and improve security.

The Governor expressed the hope that the meeting would lead to creation of new pathways that would facilitate a more robust relationship with the private sector.

In his remarks, Dr. Michael Olawale-Cole, President of LCCI, said the business leaders’ meeting with Governor Sanwo-Olu indicated the Chamber’s continued faith in the Governor’s administration for a better business environment in Lagos State.

Olawale-Cole also stated: “Policy direction is critical for a thriving and supportive business environment in any economy.

“The quality of the policy is a key consideration for local and foreign investment decisions. “With an improved business environment, Lagos can attract more capital inflows from Nigerians in Diaspora as a more sustainable funding for the provision of required infrastructure. Enormity of needs in Lagos requires the cooperation of both the public and private sector.”