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Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode says strong democratic institutions are critical to economic growth and overall national development.
Ambode stated this when he received Stuart Symington, the new United States ambassador to Nigeria, saying the transformation of the country depended largely on strong institutions rather than individuals.
While congratulating the American people on the success of their recent elections, Governor Ambode said Nigeria had a lot to learn from the United States, especially in building strong democratic institutions.
“We know that we have common grounds in terms of democratic experiences. We are very glad that the American election that took place last month was a success. We think that more of our own democratic institutions here in Nigeria should also become stronger as this will make the economy to grow and the society to thrive,” the governor said.
Ambode, who also congratulated the envoy on his new posting to Nigeria, pledged the commitment of the state to protect the business interests of Americans and others in the state.
He particularly expressed the readiness to partner American firms in scaling up the transport system and the health sector in the state.
He said: “Lagos is a beautiful home to American Embassy. We known that a lot of Americans reside in Lagos and we have tried as much as possible to create an enabling environment for investors in the State and also protect all citizens and residents.
“We are very strong on judicial and security sector reforms and we have maintained in the last 18 months, a peaceful environment in Lagos and we have continued to ensure also that Lagos is safe.”
On his part, the ambassador said his visit to Ambode was to learn with the aim of planning ways to work with the state government and the people of Nigeria so that in the future, the children of Nigeria and the children of United States had to gather for a better world forged by the partnership.
