Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu will prioritise more developmental projects across the State in his second term. Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso stated this on a live TV program, “This Morning” aired on TV Continental on Wednesday.
Omotoso also highlighted the contribution of the state’s youthful population in the area of tech, entertainment, and creativity, which in his words ‘has made Lagos an economic hub that attracts investors to the country and the State.”
Speaking on the special interview program dedicated to Governor Sanwo-Olu’s Second Term Agenda”, Omotoso described Lagos as a victim of its success, noting that the influx of people to the State has affected its infrastructure and this has put a lot of pressure on the State to improve and build more developmental projects at a faster pace to remain the “Centre of Excellence”.
The commissioner stated that infrastructural development in the state attracts the influx of people into the state while maintaining that the state government will continue to prioritise the welfare of citizens despite the undue pressure on public infrastructures.
Noting that Lagos State is the fastest growing economy in the world with a population of about 25 million, 10 times the population of New York and Los Angeles and bigger than that of some African countries combined”, the Commissioner also took a brief sector-by-sector review of the state government’s achievement in line with the governor’s THEMES Plus Agenda.
In a statement released through the state’s website, Omotoso also said: “The Smart City project is ongoing as cameras are being installed in all parts of the State. This is in addition to the provision of the 6000km fibre optic cables to improve access to functional, efficient, efficient, and affordable internet services with a focus on connecting all schools in the State to the internet. Also, the introduction of digital cameras by the State Traffic Radio has helped place Lagos as a smart city”.
Speaking on transportation and traffic management, the Commissioner spoke about the intermodal transportation system in the State and also asserted that the Sanwo-Olu administration has built 500 bridges, rehabilitated and commissioned 940 roads and provided 21 Lagos ferries on the waterways with 14 more Lag Ferries to be injected into the system soon.
Omotoso submitted that the fast electric Blue Line Rail from Marina to Mile 2 now takes 70 trips per day which has reduced the travel time of commuters drastically. He further explained that its second phase is ongoing, while the Red Line Rail project is nearing completion and its test run would begin immediately after commissioning.
The Commissioner reiterated that Lagos State is made up of a young mobile population who are strong in the area of IT, entertainment, ent, and creativity which has made Lagos an economic hub that attracts investors to the country and the State.
He revealed that Lagos is the first African State to be invited to the London Mayor’s Show and this enabled Mr. Governor, who is the Chairman of International Financial Cycle, to meet with foreign investors where he discussed the Lekki-Epe International Airport, Omu Creek, the Fourth Mainland Bridge, the Lagos State Food and Logistics projects and the need for them to invest in the State.
On Taxation and Internal Generated Revenue in the State, Omotoso averred that Lagos is not doing as well as it ought to do in the area of tax collection.
Explaining that the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service is not trying to increase taxes, Omotoso noted that the state is not doing well as it ought to do area tax revenue and internally generated revenue (IGR).
“The tax ratio of Lagos is the lowest in the world and there are 6 million active taxpayers with 4.5 million real taxpayers and these are people that get their taxes deducted from their salaries,” he said.
Regarding the issue of building collapse in Lagos State, the Commissioner said that the menace has been reduced, urging residents to always ensure to get the right documents and building permits from government agencies saddled with the responsibility before embarking on any construction.
