Recently Lagos State adorned headlines as being
a N41 trillion GDP economy; your take.
Good news, I must state. I
have always said it that Lagos is a pacesetter in almost everything in this
country including governance; that is why it is nicknamed, Centre of Excellence.
By implication of this feat, Lagos state is richer than Kenya, it is richer
than other 47 countries in Africa, being the 7th richest economy in
the whole of Africa; you can correct me if I am wrong. We are no longer
equating it with states in Nigeria, but we are talking about countries in
Africa. This is an unbelievable, exceptional feat. I commend Sanwo-Olu, I
commend Lagos State Government, the House of Assembly, the Governing Council,
and all the key stakeholders in Lagos that made this feat possible.
For you Lagos is working…
Lagos is working, there is
no rancor, governance is seamless, the Assembly is not fighting the executive,
and vice versa, when the judiciary gives any interpretation of the law, it is
obeyed, what else? Good governance remains the umbilical cord of the social
contract between the people and the state. This is what is playing out in
Lagos. Social Contract
theory viewed as a people’s moral and/or political obligations which are
dependent upon a contract or agreement among them to form the society in which
they live. The citizens have certain obligations to the state, while on the
other hand, the state must carry out certain obligations to the citizens, and manifest itself in what the people can see,
feel, hear, touch; it is the physical infrastructure, education, environmental
cleanliness, organizational abilities, it is not haughty, not impunity. It is
dedication to statutory responsibilities, it is not blame game, it is work,
work and more work. Lagos has excelled in all these and that is why today the
state GDP has climbed to a whopping N41trillion.
Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and
services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or
countries. GDP is more often used by the government of a single country to
measure its economic health.
From the time of Asiwaju Bola
Ahmed Tinubu, 1999 to 2007; Fashola, 2007 to 2015; Akinwunmu Ambode from 2015
to 2019 and now Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos has witnessed tremendous level of
development never seen before in the annals of the state and Nigeria so much so
that it has become the symbol of unity, peace and progress not only in Nigeria
but the entire sub Saharan Africa. The name Lagos exudes respect among the comity of
states. Those who have never been to Lagos long to do so, and those who have
been there have wonderful, beautiful experiences to testify about the state.
You speak so passionately about Sanwo-Olu, maybe
there are things you know about His government that the people of Lagos don’t
know
Not that, but you see, Nigerians
hardly follow activities of their government, many believe in side talks and
pull-him down syndrome which is not good. This gentleman, Babajide Sanwo-Olu
who was nearly disoriented by the covid-19 and EndSARS conundrum, quickly
recovered and is displaying an amazing skill in governance. Look at the roll-call
of his road infrastructure, he has completed and commissioned 34 roads at
Kosofe, Somolu, Victoria Island and Ikoyi; completed and commissioned
384-capacity multi-level car park at Onikan, Lagos; flagged off the
construction of 3.89-kilometre-long Ojota-Opebi link Bridge; completed and
commissioned 3 network of roads at Oniru, Victoria Island (Adeola Hopewell,
Idowu Taylor and Afribank/Churchgate Streets). He has completed and
commissioned Ikoyi network of roads – Mac Donald road/Lateef Jakande Roads,
Milverton Road and Thompson Avenue in Ikoyi, Eti Osa Local Government; Completed
and commissioned Ijede Road Phase 1 in Ikorodu; Completed and commissioned1.4
km flyover and dual carriageway Pen-Cinema Bridge, Agege; Completed and
commissioned Tedi-Muwo Link Bridge, Lagos-Ogun boundary Roads in Alimosho and
Agbado-Oke–Odo access roads; Completed and commissioned 31 network of Roads in
Ojokoro Local Council Development Area (LCDA); Completed and commissioned the
13.68 kilometers Oshodi-Abule-Egba BRT corridor; Reconfigured 6
Junction/Roundabouts – Allen, Ikotun, Maryland, Lekki and Ajah (under Traffic
Management Intervention Plan (TMIP); Did 110 palliatives and 361 sectional
rehabilitations on Roads across the State; 650 inner roads were rehabilitated
by the Lagos State Public Works Corporation (LSPWC).
His performance in Inter-modal
transportation (Rail) He acquired 10-Car intra-city Metropolitan speed trains
for the 37km Lagos Red Line project; Compensated 263 residents affected by Red
Rail Line project right of way; Completed the 380-metre-long sea crossing
bridge component of the Lagos Blue Line Rail spanning Mile 2 to Marina; Flag
off the Lagos Red Line Rail Mass track sharing with the Nigerian Railway
Corporation (NRC). The ground breaking ceremony was performed by Governor
Babajide Sanwo-Olu on April 15, 2021.
In Water transportation: LAGFERRY
now operates on 21 boats; 8 new boats were inaugurated by Mr. Governor on 6th
February, 2020, while 7 new ones were added to the fleet on June 22nd, 2021. In
Construction of jetties, the Apapa, Badagry is 75.4% completed; Isalu, Ajido,
Badagry 80% completed; Ilado Amuwo Odofin 79.82% completed; Ilashe,
Amuwo-Odofin 100% completed; Ito Omu Epe100% completed; Takwa Bay Eti
Osa 80% completed; Ijede Waterfront, Ikorodu 35% completed; Marina
Waterfront, Badagry 100% completed; Liverpool, Apapa 100% completed; Ebute-Ero,
Lagos Island 40% completed; Ijegun–Egba..
In Construction &
rehabilitation of public schools, brand new SUVs were given to 13 outstanding
teachers and school administrators in 2022; Commissioned a containerised
12-classroom block with facilities such as an interactive touch screen, mini
football pitch and a multi-sports court at the Vetland Junior Grammar School,
Ojokoro on Wednesday, June 28, 2022; Built and commissioned 18-classroom
school, recreational facilities in Elemoro Junior Secondary School, Ibeju-Lekki
axis of the State; Commissioned 180-bed hostel, block of classrooms, others at
Model College Igbokut; Upgraded 2 higher institutions to Universities
Constructed 4,000 flats for the
staff of Lagos State University (LASU); 243 public secondary schools’ libraries
were renovated and digitized; Recruited 1,000 public secondary school teachers;
Over 1,097 school projects are being undertaken by the Sanwo-Olu
administration.
Completed and delivered LASU
students’ Arcade; Embarked on the construction of 8,272-bed for LASU students; Provided
450,000 pupils with e-learning devices;18,000 teachers were trained under EKO
EXCEL; among numerous other interventions in the state’s educational system.
In Social/economic interventions,
300 youths were trained in aquaculture and poultry farming; 280 youths were
trained in solar farm construction;1,050 rural women received intensive
training in boosting outputs in agricultural production and the beneficiaries
were given equal access to markets; Supported 2,704 Lagos residents whose means
of livelihood had been disrupted by Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic; 500 women
assisted with N20, 000.00 each through Rural Women Grants from the Federal
Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs; 1,050 women agricultural training for rural
women on cultivation of vegetables, cassava planting and cultivation, garri
processing and other arable crops; 250 women trained through an empowerment
workshop on intercrop of maize and cassava with demonstration plots for
practical knowledge; Over 6,000 graduates yearly from the 19 Skill Acquisition
Centres across the state.
Supported 18 outstanding students
from the Skill Acquisition Centres with N100,000.00 in 2019; Produced 500,000 face
masks for public use during the pandemic; Empowered over 1,000 residents at the
third Phase of the Mega Empowerment programme; Empowered 1,050 vulnerable women
and indigent residents in the State with various working tools; Organized a
Mentorship seminar for over 1,000 Youths on the theme: “AGRICPRENEUR: Strategy
for Wealth Creation”; Empowered 600 women with ingenious business ideas to the
tune of N4billion through the Lagos State Employment Fund [LSETF] W-Initiative
in collaboration with Access Bank Plc to empower Lagosians; Empowered 200
household heads for orphans and vulnerable children in the State with various
skills and tools. Empowered 200 people Living with Disabilities.
Rescued 48,000 households from
poverty through various social intervention programmes under which women got
cash transfers and acquired skills; Trained 2,000 Tradesmen and Artisans (1,500
artisans and 500 tradesmen); 21, 262 residents benefitted from the 1st, 2nd and
3rd tranches of the conditional Cash Transfer Payment Exercise; Rescued 3,041
beggars/destitute/mentally challenged people and street children were taken off
the streets; 178 street children were re-integrated back to the society after undergoing
various interventions; 95 senior citizens benefitted from the services rendered
in the state- owned Old People’s Home, Yaba; 814 children benefitted from
vocational training, reformation, behavioural modification, psycho-socio
therapy, re-integration, empowerment and scholarships to higher institutions of
learning (both local and international]); 9,865 Civil Servants retirees paid
N38billion; N585million paid to the families of deceased public servants as
insurance benefits; 1,140 persons benefitted from Free Digital entrepreneurship
training
You may wish to talk about his Lagos State Employment Trust Fund
(LSETF) and MSME Programmes
Yes, His Excellency, the
Governor, supported 3,673 businesses with N1.156billion and a plethora of
interventions including, grants, mentorship, business advisory, and capacity
building as well as market access opportunities; Supported 1, 835 businesses
with NGN939.97million and saved a total of 10,005 direct jobs, 40,020 indirect
jobs via the MSME Recovery Fund, an intervention programme to cushion the effects
of the COVID-19 pandemic and EndSARS protests on businesses; Introduced the
Lagos Economic Acceleration Programme (LEAP) to reduce the effect of the COVID-19
pandemic on small businesses; Initiated the N5billion EduFund in partnership
with First Bank and EdFin MFB; Set up a N1billion fund targeted at businesses
in the tourism, hospitality, entertainment, arts and culture sectors – both
loans and grants; Introduced a N1billion Agriculture Value Chain Fund targeted
at businesses that operate within the Agric value chain, among other
interventions.
In Housing, he unveiled and
handed over 48 units of Greater Lagos LBIC Apartments in Ogba-Ijaiye,
Pen-Cinema of Agege in 2022; Completed and commissioned 480-unit housing
project in Ibeshe, Ikorodu; Completed and commissioned 774 housing units
LagosHOMS, Sangotedo Phase 1; Completed and commissioned 100 housing units in
Ikate, Lekki, Lagos.
Completed and commissioned the
360 home units, comprising 120-units home in Igbogbo in the Ikorodu; Inaugurated
252 home units, Idale, Badagry; Commissioned 84 home units in LagosHoms Lekki,
Phase 2; Commissioned the 132 home units (88 home units and 44 home units of
3-bedroom apartments respectively) at the BRF Housing Estate, Iponri, Surulere;
Completed and commissioned 120 units Courtland Villas, Igbokushu, Lekki; Handed
over apartments’ keys to 492 beneficiaries of the Lateef Kayode Jakande Housing
Estate, Igando; Completed 360 housing units at Igbogbo in Ikorodu; Completed
660 housing units at Odo-Onosa-Ayandelu Housing Scheme in Agbowa LCDA.
The same thing in Health; Lagos
State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) inaugurated new centres at Ikorodu,
Ikotun and Epe; 563,210 Lagosians covered under the Health Insurance Scheme; Completed
and commissioned Mother and Child Center (MCC), Epe; Completed and commissioned
Eti-Osa Mother and Child Center (MCC), Ajah; Completed and commissioned Mother
and Child Center (MCC), Badagry; Inaugurated Mother and Child Centers (MCCs),
Igando; Reconstruction of the New Massey’s Street Children Hospital ongoing.
When completed, it will be the biggest Children Hospital in Africa; Comprehensive
renovation of public health facilities ongoing at: Ebute-Meta Health Centre; Harvey
Road Health Centre; General Hospital, Odan, Lagos; General Hospital, Isolo;
Ketu-Ejirin Health Centre; Revamped the Jigi Bola initiative across all LGs and
LCDAs in the state; Ongoing health facility projects; Permanent 300 Bed Isolation
Centre, Yaba; Infectious Disease Centre, Yaba; Infectious Diseases Research
Institute, Yaba; Doctors’ Quarters at Yaba and Gbagada; Supported 15 families
of persons living with cerebral palsy and Down syndrome with financial
assistance of N1million to N2.5million each; Activated one Oxygen Plant at Yaba
for COVID-19; Established 10 Tri and Oxygen Centres; 1,417 residents
successfully had pediatric eye surgery, adult eye surgery, pediatric surgery,
dental surgery, orthopedic surgery and Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) surgery
through the initiative.
In Environmental Regeneration, he
Acquired 102 compactor trucks; 100 double dino bins were locally assembled for
the use of Lagos Waste Management Agency (LAWMA); 96 primary drainage channels
were cleared across the State; 222 secondary channels were also worked on, out
of which 146 have been completed while 76 are ongoing, among many other
achievements under environment.
Food Security, 32-metric tons per
hour rice mill (largest in Africa) nearing completion; Empowers 190 youths,
women in fish cage culture; Unveiled 5-year food security roadmap; Generated
12,350 jobs and empowers 17,469 direct and indirect beneficiaries through the
Lagos State Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement
Support (APPEALS); 300 farmers benefitted from the 2021 Agric Value Chains
scheme; supported 20 clusters of Ofada rice farmers with modern technology and
necessary supports through the Lagos State Agro-Processing, Productivity
Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS); Initiated 500
Hectares Rice Farm Technology Intervention project; Trained 97 Senior Secondary
School Agricultural Science students, Agricultural Science teachers and
Education Desk Of ficers under the 2021 Agricultural Summer School Programme; 879
farmers and Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) benefited from the Lagos
Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support
(APPEALS) Project.
He began the rehabilitation of
its coconut belt in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation
(FAO). This is to create over 500,000 job opportunities and wealth,
through training, capacity building and empowerment of youths and women in the
coconut value chain; N7.9million transaction done at the maiden Eko-City
Farmers’ Market; Trained 575 women and youths, comprising 240 in aquaculture,
300 in poultry, and 35, under the APPEALS project in rice farming; 250,000 jobs
to be generated via the State’s integrated rice mill at Imota; The State
provided needed support the production of about 335,000 loaves of bread under the
Eko Coconut Bread initiative; Established semi-mechanized abattoir in Oko-Oba
in collaboration with private sector.
In Tourism/Entertainment, disbursed
N200million as loan to 37 Nigerian film makers; Completed and commissioned the
New Glover Hall, Lagos; Reconstruction of J.K Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture,
Onikan, Lagos at an advanced stage of completion; Renovated 9 youth centres in
Lagos Island, Badagry, Ikeja, Magodo, Abesan, Akowonjo, Ikorodu, Epe, and
Isheri-Magodo; Construction of Film City on 100 hectares of land at Ejirin in
Epe Local Government Area is on course; Completed the four state theatres in
Epe, Badagry, Ikeja and Igando; among others.
It appears nothing much is heard on Justice and Security
Let me tell you, it is there, go
and read it up. Sanwo-Olu has also don marvelous in Justice and security, he Completed
3 Police Posts in Ise, Elemoro and Ilashe; Completed Christopher Olatunde Segun
High and Magistrate Courthouse, Badore, Ajah; Completed and inaugurated 4 new
offices of the Citizens’ Mediation Centre (CMC) at Ojo LG, Iba, Alimosho and
Ijede; Completed the renovation of the library at the State Criminal
Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba.
Provision of standard Police
interview room with recording equipment at the Lagos State Police Command,
Ikeja; Construction of Administrative block, Police Area Command, Elemoro,
Ibeju-Lekki (Phase II); Construction of Administrative block, Police Area
Command, Idimu (Phase II); Construction of Administrative block, Police Area
Command, Elemoro, Ibeju-Lekki (Phase III), and Establishment of Forensic
Toxicology and Chemistry Section and Enhancement of Security and other sections
of Lagos State DNA & Forensic Centre: Phase 2 by Turnkey Project; among
others.
Under Security/Emergency
Management, he donated security equipment worth billions of naira to the
police:180 patrol vehicles; 200 patrol motorcycles; 4-high capacity troupe
carriers; 2 anti-riot canon vehicles
Armoured personnel carriers; 1,000
security gadgets; Commissioned the Emergency Security Regional Centre, Epe; Employed
100 fire-fighters
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