As part of his promised ‘THEME Lagos,’ which includes traffic management and transportation, health and environment, education and technology, making Lagos a 21st Century economy, entertainment and tourism, Babajide Sanwo-Olu says, if elected governor of Lagos State in 2019, he would tackle the state’s collapsing infrastructure head-on.
Sanwo-Olu, who is the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, assures that his government will move very fast to complete the ongoing Blue Line rail project from Okokomaiko-Marina and, in the process, aggressively prosecute the rehabilitation of Lagos Badagry Expressway.
He adds that they would explore the realization of the Red line from Agbado to Marina, pointing out that, in preparing for rehabilitating various inner roads, the three Asphalt plants in the state would be turned around and made ready to put people to work in order to make state roads motorable.
The governorship candidate who spoke at the annual end of the year dinner and award night organised by the Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers, Lagos chapter, where he was represented by his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, notes that Lagos as a megacity had serious infrastructure challenge.
Lagos population is currently over 20 million with a projected figure of close to 30 million in the next decade. This is despite it being the smallest state in Nigeria with a land area of 3,577 square kilometres, which is just 0.4 percent of total land area of Nigeria estimated at 923,768 square kilometres.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) estimates show that about 260,000 people come into Lagos daily, and only about 20-25 percent goes back to their original places. This huge influx into the city is overstretching the existing infrastructure and facilities, leading to an urgent need for the state to be innovative in providing infrastructure.
Hamzat, who was the immediate past commissioner for works and infrastructure in the state, said he understood the state’s infrastructure challenge very well, pointing out, however, that though the internally generated revenue (IGR) of the state has increased from N7.2 billion in 1999 to about N333 billion in 2017, it was still a lot lower than what was required to build a Lagos of the residents’ dream.
“The government of Sanwo-Olu will explore options that will increase the state’s IGR. But most importantly, technology and rule of law will play a bigger role in virtually every sector of our economy. It is these applications of technology and rule of law that makes the difference between the advanced nations and the developing worlds, such as Nigeria”, he said in response to journalists’ questions.
“Our plan is to expand and improve on existing infrastructure project. Government is a continuum and we will continue with existing projects to the benefit of Lagos. Our focus remains ‘Towards a Greater Lagos: A Collective Effort,’” he assures.
Hamzat notes that as people that have lived and worked in Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and he were not novices in Lagos and its governance, saying they were fully aware of the enormous task ahead.
“We are mentally and physically equipped and with peoples’ support and advice, we will surmount the daunting tasks ahead of us. We cannot do it alone without the collaboration of every Lagosian, especially the professional groups, business communities and every man and woman of goodwill,” he says.
According to him, it is a reality that building and preserving a mega city such as Lagos comes with great challenges because providing a sufficient amount of infrastructure and other life’s necessities that would accommodate the needs of over 20 million people is not a mean task.
“Our government, when voted in by the good people of Lagos, must then run an ‘all inclusive government’. We will collaborate and partner with professional bodies, private sector, and development agencies where necessary,” he assures.
