LAGOS: To attain Smart City status, state urged to invest in infrastructure, youths devt, private sector participation

PRESIDENT Buhari, Governor Sanwo-Olu, the newly appointed Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo, and the President, African Development Bank, AFDB, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, have called for development of economic infrastructure, investment in youths, and enhanced private sector contribution for Lagos to achieve its vision of becoming a smart city.

They said this today, at the first day of the ongoing three-day Lagos economic summit dubbed, Eghingbeti Lagos Economic Summit 2021, themed ‘Setting the tone for a greater Lagos’.

In his goodwill message, Buhari said the Federal Government is determined to open up opportunities, by which Lagos can achieve its projection of smart city.

The President commended the state government for its partnership and collaboration with the federal government in putting together an economic summit aimed at improving the lives of citizens of the state.

He said the FG has several ongoing projects in Lagos, applauding Sanwo-Olu for his resolve to continue the development of the state. 

“We want a Lagos that is united and ensure its economic prosperity leaves no one behind. I urge all stakeholders to come up with plans to achieve Lagos of our dreams,” the President said.

In a virtual question and answer session with Sanwo-Olu, Dr. Okonjo Iweala said apart from construction of roads, Lagos should invest in technology such as broadband for every household, embrace artificial intelligence and digital economy, ensure a steady and sustainable supply of electricity and renewable energy/green to remain competitive in the next decade.

She added that the state should harness the youths by providing employment. She further urged the state to move from importing raw materials, into exporting primary raw products to value and processing, to industrialize Africa.

In his contributions, Adesina said the youths are the assets for the state and should be given chance to contribute meaningfully.

He said the state should also invest in education by turning tertiary institutions in the state to world-class institutions.

“Youths are not the problem of Lagos, they are the asset. The slogan should not be the young shall grow, but the youths have arrived. Youths do not need empowerment or handouts; what they need is an investment. The poverty level in Lagos has reduced from 30.3 percent in 2009 to 4.5 percent in 2019. 20 percent lives in slums. A prosperous Lagos will bring a healthier Lagos. A lot needs to be done in tertiary education especially in science. We must turn tertiary institutions in Lagos to world-class. The climate situation in Lagos should be attended to urgently. There is a slow need to invest more in the transport system,” he said.

The AfDB boss further said the private sector should be mobilised to support the new Lagos, while there must be accountability for taxes collected.

“I see a greater Lagos, a Lagos where visions are turned into reality and where women and youths thrive,” said Adesina.

Sanwo-Olu saidbhis administration hopes to move 34.5 million people monthly through its Red and Blue rail projects.

“There will be a city-wide network of colour-coded Metro Lines, the first two of which – Red and Blue – will move over 34.5million people monthly, cutting travel time by over 250%. In 2030 Lagos will proudly stand beside every other megacity in the world, in terms of its capacity to transport its people efficiently and responsively.”

The governor added that in 2030, Lagos will be a Smart City, fully covered by a network of several thousands of kilometers of fibre optic infrastructure that will carry broadband internet into our homes, offices and schools and unleash a technology revolution that has never before been seen in this part of the world.

“The Smart City that is unfolding will also be home to a network of intelligent cameras that will support not only security and policing across the State, but also traffic management and data collection for urban planning.

“The opportunities for tourism are going to be immense as well, and there is no doubt that Lagos can and will turn Nigeria into an African tourist magnet.
Cultural tourism is far from being the only possibility that beckons. We see the potential for becoming a hub of medical tourism as well, with the increasing wave of investment in healthcare infrastructure that we are seeing in the state.

“If we keep up the pace, by 2030 there will be a steady influx of people from West Africa and beyond coming to Lagos to take advantage of state-of-the-art hospitals. We are pushing ahead with plans to develop, in partnership with the private sector, a Medical Park that will offer world-class medical and diagnostic services in Ikoyi. We have so much to celebrate, but there is also so much to be done, and we are driven by a sense of urgency on the enormous task ahead to build the Lagos of our dreams,” said Sanwo-Olu.