Ayodele Olalere
Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday reeled out some of the achievements of his administration two years after assuming office.
In his State of the State broadcast at the Lagos House, Ikeja, the governor said his administration has delivered on his campaign promises in his T.H.E.M.E.S agenda of making Lagos a smart city areas such as transporation, health, education, environment, security, among others.
“As I promised in my video message, which announced our Administration’s Second Anniversary commemorative activities, I am here with a detailed report on our undertakings in the last 729 days.
I will also take this moment to show you a Glimpse of the Greater Lagos that I promised you. This occasion presents us with an opportunity to reflect on our journey to A Greater Lagos. In fact, it is very special in the life of our administration.
We are exceedingly happy with the progress we have made in the last two years. Our accomplishments have placed us at a vantage position from where we can now catch a Glimpse of the Greater Lagos we envisioned together.
Our destination is now in sight. Much more than ever in the history of our beloved State, we have moved in the direction of advancement and the conviction about our progress is incontestable. We all can see and feel it.
Daily, we experience some discomfort here and there because of the multiple construction jobs going on concurrently across the State. This is the sacrifice we need to collectively make towards the actualisation of our vision for a Greater Lagos.
The discomfort will cease, but not very soon, because the tempo of work in infrastructural development and physical construction has just increased. Many major projects have just got to the execution stage. Our state will be like a massive construction site for an additional year or more. I appeal to you to bear with us.
As a government, we have consistently matched our word with action, and worked tirelessly to transform into reality our shared aspiration of making Lagos one of the most functional and habitable cities in the world. We can do it; we will do it.
We have laid a very solid foundation for the transformation of our State through strategic interventions and meaningful executions beyond this period.
Listening to my colleagues – Commissioners and Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies rendering accounts of our stewardship in the last few weeks, you would have noticed a burning passion and dedication to getting things done – differently and purposefully.
It is actually impossible to provide a detailed account of daily-occurring construction and ground-breaking initiatives across the state for 729 days in just three weeks.
However, the smoothness of the newly constructed and rehabilitated 301 inner roads in our 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs, and other major roads across the State, will serve as veritable testaments to some of our achievements in Traffic Management and Transportation.
– From Milverton and Thompson in Ikoyi to Adeola Hopewell and Adeola Odeku on Victoria Island.
– From Demurin and Church in Kosofe to Buba Marwa Road and Navy Town in Ojo.
– From Soluyi St to St. Finbarr’s Road as well as Iwaya Road in Somolu- Bariga.
– From Sobo Arobiodu and Oduduwa Way in Ikeja to Aradagun Road and Hospital Road in Badagry.
– From Jimoh Odutola and Babs Amimashaun in Surulere to Egan and Camp David Roads in Alimosho
We have also concluded work on some strategic roads across the State. Some of the roads are:
– Phase 1 of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway (Agboju to Trade Fair)
– The 13.68km Oshodi-Abule Egba BRT corridor
– Phase 1 of the 6.05km Road from Ijede to Itamaga.
Work is on-going on:
– Oba Sekumade – Ipakodo Road
– the 7.8km Owutu-Agric-Ishawo Road,
– the 19.39 km Ijegun-Jagemo-Ijedodo road,
– The Lagos-Ogun boundary roads in Alimosho and Agbado Oke-Odo LCDAs.
The first phase of the Lekki-Epe Expressway Project is 18.75km, stretching from Eleko Junction all the way to Epe T-junction. It is a 6-lane rigid-pavement road that will connect the second phase, which is 26.7km, beginning from Abraham Adesanya Roundabout and ending at Eleko Junction.
It is also my pleasure to inform you that the Lekki Regional Road, which passes through VGC Chevron, Ajiran and Freedom Road, is being constructed at a high-speed.
Next year, when we commission these very important roads, relief will come to the people of Eti-Osa, Ibeju Lekki-Epe and Ikorodu, like residents of Oko-Oba, Iju and Okekoto in Agege LGA, when we delivered the 1.4km dual-carriage Agege-Pen Cinema Bridge, which our administration inherited at 20% completion.
Other efforts in this regard include the Junction Improvement and Reconfiguration at the 1st and 2nd Roundabouts in Lekki, Allen Avenue, Ajah and Igando. We also recruited and subsequently deployed 1,017 LASTMA officers in various locations. So far, we have improved 28 traffic junctions with retrofitted street lights; and another 22 are at different stages of upgrade and rehabilitation.
Going into the H Pillar of our THEMES development Agenda.
Our proactive and efficient management of the COVID-19 pandemic has been adjudged as the most significant achievement of the Health and Environment pillar of our THEMES development agenda. Against the backdrop of the fact that Lagos has been the national epicentre of the pandemic, our robust response as an administration, in partnership with the Federal Government and private sector, has played a game changing role in the commendable outcomes seen in Nigeria.
But it is important to note that the situation only presented us with an opportunity to showcase our best as a state. I must admit we witnessed improved capacity and capability in area of infrastructure and personnel. Aside from the comprehensive renovation of our medical facilities at Ebute-Metta Health Centre, Harvey Road Health Centre, General Hospitals at Odan, Isolo and Ketu-Ejinrin, the pandemic pushed us to consider the development of new facilities, such as our New Massey Children Hospital, New General Hospital in Ojo, and a Rehabilitation and Mental Health facility in Ketu Ejinrin.
Fellow Lagosians, we do not know when another outbreak will occur, but I need to let you know that we will be ready to defend our territory against any pandemic. That is why we are building a 300-bed Isolation Centre and a Research Institute at IDH, Yaba. We have commissioned 3 Oxygen Plants and new Doctors Quarters are being built at Gbagada and Isolo. We continue to remember our citizens who paid the supreme price during the first and second waves of COVID-19.
Our Administration is also ensuring that we have improved maternal and child health outcomes in Lagos State, with the inauguration of the Mother and Child Centres (MCCs) in Eti-Osa, Igando and Badagry. I am pleased to note that we will be commissioning another MCC in Epe in the next one week.
Environment
As we know, environmental cleanliness is a requirement for general wellbeing. Therefore, our administration has invested significantly in the waste collection capacity of LAWMA. Specifically, we are expecting delivery of 100 compact trucks and 100 Dano Bins for placement across the State.
Similarly, we have increased the capacity of PSP operators from 320 compactor-trips to 720 compactor-trips daily, and commissioned a mini-effluent treatment plant to determine waste toxicity before release into the atmosphere.
From the cleanliness of the drainage around us to the beautification of our parks, and the awareness created by the Lagos Recycle Initiative, which has been welcomed by Lagosians, we can feel the increasing freshness of the Lagos air.
This is also purified by timely maintenance of our dumpsites and expansion of the 42-acre Olusosun site, for quicker waste-disposal trucks turnaround time and support for the ‘Lagos 4am’ Programme designed to stem indiscriminate waste disposal across the metropolis.
Drainage
In Drainage management and maintenance, we have ongoing 56 projects. These are assigned to support flood control and management operations during the raining season.
Some of these projects are:
– Santos Layout Channel at Dopemu, which extends to the Airport.
– the Itedo Channel off Freedom Way, Lekki
– the Abraham Channel, off Lekki-Epe Expressway
– Osborne –Dolphin Channel, Ikoyi
– Kajola Channel, Ibeju Lekki
Over this period, we completed the channelization of several ferry routes, notably the 6km Ijede-Badore, the 7km Bayeiku-Ajah, the 16km Ebute Ojo-Marina and 16km Ijede-Marina routes.
1. Besides, we are working on 15 jetties; VIP Chalet Jetty, (Badagry), Apaa (Badagry), Ilado (Amuwo Odofin), Ito-Omu (Epe), Ijegun Egba (Ojo), Ebute-Ero (Lagos Island), Liverpool (Apapa), Mile 2 (Mile 2), Isalu, Ajido Waterfront (Badagry), Ijede Waterfront, (Ikorodu), Ofin (Ikorodu), Takwa-bay (Eti-Osa), Ilashe (Ojo), Oke-Ira Nla (Eti-Osa) and Marina Waterfront.
6 of these jetties will be commissioned before the end of this year and additional 4 will be awarded.
Water Transportation
Our Administration has increased investment in passengers’ ferries from 14 to 22, with the large one having the capacity to carry up-to 60 while the medium-size carries 40 passengers.
Similarly, LASWA is building a Control and Command Centre for the safety and security of passengers using water transportation. This effort is complemented by the installation of navigational equipment on our waterways.
These initiatives and facilities are developed to encourage water transportation and contribute to attaining our goals of a multi-modal transportation system.
Education
Like every progressive government committed to long-lasting educational reform, we recognise that education is the difference between our past and future. With education, we will discover what was amiss yesterday, what should be done today, and what tomorrow will require.
Because of our outlook and quest to remain a globally competitive city-state, adequate investment in educating our children and young adults has become a defining attribute of this administration. Year-on-year, we have increased budgetary allocation to education and integrated technology into our school curriculum.
Our administration has completed more than 1097 school projects in just two years, built six Secondary Schools, provided over 100,000 tables & chairs, built 450 classrooms and provided 2000 hostel beds in our model schools.
We also introduced EKOEXCEL – an education reform programme targeted at developing highly skilled teachers through training, support and motivation. The EKOEXCEL initiative has reached about 1,009 schools, 13,000 teachers and 450,000 pupils.
In fact, learning outcomes have significantly improved and primary school enrolment increased significantly because of the visible impact of EKOEXCEL on the pupils.
I must say that EKOEXCEL is important to the success of our Project Zero (Zero Tolerance for Out-of-School Children), an effort to bring back pupils who are at the verge of discontinuing their education because of the socio-economic impact of COVID-19.
So far, we have brought back 2,844 pupils to learning, and equipped them with the modern-day educational gadgets in-use under EKO EXCEL, which is about 60,000 handheld devices.
Our post-primary and tertiary institutions are not left out of the endeavour to rightly position education as a catalyst for the socio-economic development of Lagos State.
Last year, over 2000 teachers were recruited for our public secondary schools and we stretched the opportunity for continuous learning with the establishment of additional 21 Adult Literacy Centres, which took the number of such centres in Lagos State to 1,284.
The global ranking of Lagos State University, our state-owned tertiary institution, is a reflection of the level and quality of support provided to tertiary institutions in Lagos State by our administration.
LASU moved to prominence, and occupies a regal position in the hierarchy of universities in Nigeria. Like LASU, other Lagos State-owned institutions have received both ample material and financial support that have adequately strengthened their operations and boosted their competitiveness internationally.
Today, LASU has become the preferred choice of global universities seeking collaboration with a Nigerian university. Owing to its standing, LASU, ahead of all the first-generation universities in Nigeria, is in partnership with Cornell University, a statutory Ivy League research university in New York, running an Executive Collaborative Programme.
Our government is supporting the institution to expand the scope of the partnership and building a Business School for LASU on Victoria Island. In addition to this, we are building the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM), a best-in-class Faculty of Education, and delivering the 8,728-bed hostel executed through a Public-Private-Partnership arrangement in the next 8 months to address the students’ accommodation challenge in LASU.
I am happy to inform you that our administration has concluded plans to upgrade Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) and Lagos State College of Education (LACOED) to Universities. We have also embarked on infrastructural development in the institutions.
In LASPOTECH, we are building a new Administrative Block and developing many student facilities at the Lagos State College of Education. Aside from institutional support, our administration has also paid N218m as bursary to 6,411 students and awarded scholarship to the tune of N217m to 918 outstanding students.
Technology
The world is looking in our direction because of the enormous human and material resources we possess, but the most viable means of value exchange at this time is technology. So, our government is standing up to the call to implant technology at the heart of everything in Lagos. We are becoming DigitalLagos, a smart city of relevance.
This vision has started to crystallise. We commenced under our PPP model the laying of 3,000km fibre across the State. Out of this, we have covered 1,800km, which has provided connection to 100 schools and 12 of our hospitals.
Riding on the Fibre infrastructure is our Smart City Project, which will enhance traffic management and security, with the planned installation of about 2000 cameras at strategic locations. The test-run has begun, with the installation of about 150 smart cameras on our streets.
DigitalLagos is not just an idea. It is a culture that is animated by our recently launched Lagos State Innovation Master Plan. Similarly, we established the Lagos State Science Research & Innovation Council (LASRIC) to drive investment in research and development of tech-focused solutions.
We strongly believe that these platforms will stimulate the types of ‘tech-thinking’ that will leapfrog our state to the forefront of innovation. Even though our State already has a place on the innovation and technology map of the world, purposeful state actions like ours offer support and encouragement to the growing tech ecosystem that has found a home in Lagos.
With technology, making Lagos a 21st century has become a lot easier, and we have started witnessing the integration of technology with the different elements of our THEMES Agenda.
Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy
Our administration has moved resolutely to address some of the challenges dimming the brightness of our State as a 21st Century Economy. This has begun with the increased efficiency of government services and operations to enable speedy processing of permits, approvals and related statutory documents. We had to repeal the 2018 Land Use Charge Law, which was replaced by a 2020 Property Land Use Charge Law and Regulations.
While the new Land Use Charge Law was a response to public agitation for reduction in the Land Use Charge, our administration gained better insights from its engagement with the affected categories of citizens and deployed same in amicably resolving 1250 out of the 1,418 Land Use Charge complaints.
Housing
Adequate, sustainable and affordable housing remains a challenge fuelled by urbanisation. This trend has contributed enormously to the housing deficit in Lagos State. But our government is frontally confronting this challenge and exploring different options of addressing the situation through engagements with foreign and local investors.
We have however completed and commissioned:
– 360 home units in Igbogbo, Ikorodu.
– 252 home units in Idale, Badagry.
– 84 home units, LagosHoms, Lekki Phase 2
– 132 home units at the BRF Housing Estate, Iponri
– 120 Units Igbokushu, Lekki
– Keys handed to 492 beneficiaries of the Lateef Jakande Housing Estate, Igando
We also have at various stages of completion:
– 1800 units in Sangotedo
– 660 units in Agbowa
– 480 units in Badagry
– 120 units in Elegushi
Energy
Just as we have prioritised housing, our government is also committed to solving the energy problem in our State. We will be connecting 20,000 households to electric metres. Our administration has also facilitated the signing of an MoU between Eko Disco and NDPHC to dedicate 400 megawatts to Lagos State.
Food Security
On food security, our administration is committed to stimulating the growth of the Agric sector. Accordingly, we launched a five-year Masterplan for Agriculture to boost food production and strengthen sector.
As a demonstration of our commitment to the sector, introduced empowerment schemes and programmes for operators in the agro-allied ecosystem.
For instance, no fewer than 879 farmers and Small and Medium Sale Enterprises (SMEs) across poultry, aquaculture and rice production value-chain have benefited from the Lagos Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) Project.
Similarly, we empowered 600 residents with ingenious business ideas to the tune of N4bn through the Lagos State Empowerment Trust Fund (LESTF) W-initiative in collaboration with Access Bank and commissioned the FADAMA Food Market at Agbalata, Badagry to promote the structuring of agricultural produce marketing in the State.
Entertainment and Tourism
Amidst the numerous transformational initiatives deployed to strengthen the socio-economic positioning of Lagos State globally, the energy of the city, fuelled by a thriving entertainment industry is unmistakable. A State of predominantly young people with some of the finest beaches in Sub-Saharan Africa, makes Lagos both a tourist delight and the entertainment capital of Africa.
Our administration is committed to facilitating the development of the sector through empowerment and partnership. We recognise its place as a major employer of labour, especially our youths, and evolved a strategy that enabled direct support and grant by our administration.
Aside from landmark facilities and initiatives like the J.K Randle Centre for Yoruba history, Glover Memorial Hall, Lagos Theatre in Badagry, Badagry Museum and major Tourist attractions in Badagry, our administration is also working with the Federal Government to rehabilitate the National Arts Theatre Iganmu into a world class entertainment, fashion, music and technology and cultural hub as a deliberate and purposeful mission to boost the tourism appeal of Lagos State.
Our empowerment drive through partnerships with the Ebony Life Academy and Del York Creative Academy, where no fewer than 2000 youth are receiving training in different aspects of Cinematography; such as Scriptwriting, Directing and others, with the aim of unlocking the huge talent and potential in the creative arts space.
We have also launched the Lagos Creative Initiative (LACI) for focused development of the creative industry, which has birthed the 100-hecter Lagos Film City in Ejinrin. Besides, we gave financial support in excess of N1bn to operators to cushion the effect of COVID-19 on the industry.
Beyond our 731 Days
Dear Lagosians, these are some of our achievements in the last 731 days. They are laudable, but we have put them in our past, because of the enthralling brightness of the years ahead.
The 4th Mainland Bridge
Lagos is 0.4% of Nigeria’s total landmass, with a population of 22 million, representing about 10% of the country’s total population. Looking at the interaction between these figures, one will notice an obvious disproportion between population size and habitation space.
This, amongst other reasons, explains the perennial congestion on Lagos roads and across the State. As a government, we have undertaken several innovative means of ensuring that citizens’ travel experiences are palatable.
We, therefore, believe that the construction of the 37km 4th Mainland Bridge will significantly change the face of transportation and movement in Lagos State. The ground-breaking for the construction and building of the Bridge will happen before the end of this year. Our PPP concessionaires appear committed as they enter the final stage of the qualification process.
Integrated Mass Transit System
From this day on, we are certainly heading in the direction that our city will become so connected by an Integrated Mass Transit System that a trip to the farthest part of the state will be reduced by half of the current travel time. We are focused activating on an intermodal transport system that gives Lagosians the options of commuting by Water, Road and Rail.
Future Plan
We are completing our intermodal bus terminals at Ajah, Abule Egba, Iju, Ojota and Anthony Village.
Blue Line – This administration has raised funding for the completion of the Phase 1 of the 27km Blue Line Rail Project traversing Okokomaiko to Marina, with a daily passenger capacity of 500,000.
Status
– Sea-crossing and beam-laying ongoing.
– Rolling stock ordered
– Construction of interchange stations at Marina and Mile 12 going simultaneously.
Red Line
We flagged-off the construction of the 37.5km Rail Mass Transit Red Line from Agbado to Marina. The rail corridor will move 1 million passengers daily when operating at full-capacity. The rail has 8 stations and 8 vehicle overpasses.
Future
We expect to see the first passenger movement on this rail transportation before the end of this administration.
Water Transportation
Since the beginning of this administration, we have consciously promoted water transportation as one of our intermodal commuting options available to our citizens. We are currently fifteen jetties, invested in passenger boats for the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) and built on-water satellite monitoring station for passengers’ safety in emergency situations.
Bus Reform Initiative (BRI)
Our plan in the Bus Reform Initiative is to increase the First and Last Mile (FLM) Scheme to a fleet of 5,000 in the next 1 year. We also plan to introduce Lagos Ride under our Taxi Scheme. This will witness an initial injection of 1000 cars.
This initiative is meant to give our commuters options either on our high-capacity buses, medium-capacity buses, or taxis, which will reduce their dependence on Okada (commercial motorcycle) as a means of transportation in our State.
Imota Rice mill
The Imota Rice mill is scheduled for completion this year. Upon completion, the production capacity of the Mill will be amongst the largest in the world and largest in Sub-Saharan Africa, producing 2.5million bags of 50kg rice annually.
At full-capacity, the Rice Mills will provide a steady supply of 2.4million bags of 50kg rice to Lagosians and create more than 250,000 jobs.
FUTURE ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE
Dear Lagosians, completing these projects within the next 24 months will bring absolute transformation to the livelihoods and the economy of our dear State. We have spent the last 729 days laying the foundation for all these to happen seamlessly.
Just yesterday, we hosted the Senate Committee on Constitution Review and restated our position on true Federalism, including State Police, Fiscal Federalism and Special Status for our dear State. This has become an imperative and non-negotiable demand for us.
Security and Youth Employment
The totality of our efforts is geared towards ensuring a safe and secure society, where youth employment is guaranteed. With more than two-thirds of Lagos State population falling below age 30, it is undisputable that the future of our State is the empowerment of our youth and security of their future. Our administration is committed to working with the youth and providing a safe environment for all to thrive.
Most of our programmes are focused at empowering the youth. In the creative industry where thousands of them are being trained to become masters of their arts. No fewer than 4000 youths have been placed in companies under Internship programme; and many more will join. Our Volunteer Corps has more than 9,000 young people.
The youth constitute the majority of the players in the tech-ecosystem and we have been supporting by funding for innovative start-ups. Today, we have funded over 20 start-ups in areas such agriculture-tech, environmental tech, educational technology and small scale manufacturing.
Last October, we provided over $10,000 to each of the start-ups. We have also funded over 70 research initiatives across 4 Universities and Colleges of Education.
On Security, we are currently working with the various state security operatives to determine additional operational and infrastructure needs that the state can support with. In this regard, I shall in the coming week, be handing over operational vehicles, communication gadgets, ballistic vests and helmets, anti-riot water cannon vehicles and Armed Personnel Carriers (APCs) to our various security operatives to further enhance and improve their operations which will ultimately have a positive impact on the security status in the state. We will also be recruiting additional men in the coming weeks, into our Neighbourhood Security Watch to complement the efforts of our existing security personnel.
Dear Lagosians, I have given you an account of what we have done in recognition of your place as those who bestowed on us the sacred responsibility of leadership. We are standing on the threshold of history. The Greater Lagos we collectively envisioned is closer now than ever before.
