Security, job creation and infrastructure upgrade are the three critical areas being targeted by the administration of Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode. In this interview with CNBC Africa’s Didi Akinyelure, the Lagos helmsman speaks on his vision for the Centre of Excellence.
It is a privilege for me to have been elected as the governor of Lagos State.
OW you have completed five months in office so far, what’s your general assessment of the time spent as governor?
It is a privilege for me to have been elected as the governor of Lagos State. I am humbled by the responsibilities that have been put on my shoulders. In the last five months it has been very interesting, the challenges as exciting as the possibilities that you find with this particular position and I have been up to the task to just make sure that for those reasons that I have been elected and the promises I have made, I have tried as much as possible to focus on creating solutions to those challenges.
What is your vision and plan for the Lagos State of the future?
The truth is this; I want a Lagos where everyone can live and work and feel safe and believing also that there are other competing cities that people would like to live and work in but to have that feeling that as we move forward, Lagos will be one of the best places for anybody to come and live and work in and also enjoy all the possibilities in Lagos.
What are some of the things that you are doing to achieve that dream of making Lagos a model mega city?
My dream is to have a Lagos that would work for all of us and will be a win-win for the government and everyone. I know basically that we desire a Lagos that is safer than ever before and a Lagos that is more prosperous that everybody would be proud of and I am focused on that and believe strongly that together with the cabinet members that have come in with me, we would be able to deliver all our promises to Lagosians.
You have mentioned some of the challenges that you need to address here in Lagos state but how are you setting your priorities?
Critically, just of recent, we have decided to bring the cabinet members in to say that this is our focus but with all the challenges here in Lagos and priorities, we can only choose the most important ones. Security, job opportunities and infrastructure are the three critical things I would like to focus on believing also that they rotate around every other priority that you can think of in delivering service.
Let’s talk more about your plans for addressing some of these key issues. We know that the Lagos State development plan is already in existence for example.
We now have a Lagos State Development plan that has been running from 2012 to 2025. Obviously, we are three years down the road already. It comes with four pillars – the first one speaks so much about social development planning that we need to solve all the issues that relate to security. The second one is on economic development where we would be able to create jobs for our people and enhance economic growth. The third one is about sustainable development. We believe strongly that everything we are doing create a platform that will allow us to sustain the growth and development that we envision. The last one is on infrastructure development to address issues relating to traffic and even other modes of transportation.
Now talking about specific actions that you have made in the area of security. We know for example that contributions to the Lagos State security Trust Fund has reached N12 billion with the private sector alone contributing N1 billion but what would that trust fund be used for?
Security is just like the bedrock of economic growth and in it, we’ve had a successful partnership with the private sector, my predecessor, Governor Raji Fashola had a major impact in that area of that partnership and in the course of his tenure, we actually had N12 billion put together with N4 billion coming from the private sector to that fund to technically support what the government is doing in terms of security. I have also tried to create that confidence with the private sector. In the last four months, we have organanised fund raising to boost security fund and the private sector has been able to put a minimum of about N1 billion down to support us in what we are doing. We strongly believe that the private sector’s involvement is a show of confidence in our own government. The private sector believe we should make Lagos safer. The other areas is to ensure that whatever support that the security agencies need in Lagos, we are giving them even beyond what is envisioned in the budget itself. I believe strongly that the support coming from both the private and the public sector will also send a message to the Federal Government that there is a need to pay greater attention to security in Lagos.
What role can the private sector play in driving Lagos forward and how can the public sector work with them in achieving this?
With a safer Lagos, I will be in a better position to attract investments, believing strongly that the private sector stands in a better position to actually grow the economy. I believe in the private sector as the engine room for economic growth and it is no more right to believe that government alone can stimulate provide growth in any society. The involvement of the private sector is very key and we have done so much to attract the private sector in taking over the economy of Lagos. On our part, my administration is creating an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive. I also know that by the creation of our new overseas affairs’ office and investment, that’s a platform in which we believe strongly that the purpose of doing business has to improve tremendously. Lagos is more or less like the economic and business cornerstone of Nigeria and if Lagos gets it right, it means that Nigerian economy can grow. I know that right now, we are attracting the highest level of foreign direct investments (FDIs) into Lagos and when that increases in Lagos, it means that there will be growth also in the country. The platform is for us to continue to see ourselves as enablers and regulators of this economy and create that enabling environment for the private sector to thrive.
You also have a wealth creation initiative to harness innovation and creativity and boost entrepreneurship in the state.
The Wealt Creating Minsitry is targeting the SMEs, the artisans and the younger ones that really don’t have access to huge funding. The ministry is also planning an employment trust fund to finance young entrepreneurs where they can have access to low-interest loans that will enable them to recreate jobs. I also believe in doing that. I would have breached a gap once these youths are more or less engaged, because the ultimate goal for any growing economy is to create jobs and that is what the Wealth Creation Ministry intends to achieve.
In terms of Investment, what are the key sectors for big business?
We are keenly interested in manufacturing, in power, agriculture and also issues that relate to security. I believe Lagos has the full ingredients to take on any sector of this economy. The financial services industry is huge here in Lagos and that is a major potential for us. When you look at the land mass in Lagos, one-fifth is water and you can see how much that can do for us in terms of tourism. In different areas, we believe those things that we are doing will create multi-level job opportunities for most of our people and you know basically that Lagos is 90 per cent informal sector, translating to a lot opportunities.
Speaking of tourism, you also have plans to showcase culture and tradition in the state by establishing museums and heritage centres, talk about that.
Lagos is a melting port. Beyond the fact that it is a cosmopolitan state, there is so much of culture and heritage in Lagos that we also need to harness and show case. In another two years, Lagos State is going to be 50 years and we believe the state is in need of monuments and iconic places and in doing that, we’ll be able to use that as a way of activating that particular industry. It is a natural location for tourism; that is what this government is trying to harness as quickly as possible.
Earlier, you mentioned the creation of the Office of Overseas Affairs and investments, what role has that office played so far in driving investments into the state and what’s the long-term plan?
It is like a one-stop shop. That’s what the office is all about. Lagos is the melting port for investment and trade and commerce beyond the bureaucratic process which you have in government. This office is specifically created to pay greater attention to businessmen, to investors (local or foreign) and any other person that is trying to start up any business in Lagos. We want people to be able to come into Lagos and be able to start up their business in a matter of days. They do not need to go through our bureaucratic process. So, this particular office which is directly under me will be able to deal with issues relating to investment in one location. So, if you want to get your permit, your registration papers or you need land or anything that has to do with the government, that is just the place to go and that’s the only way we can re-energise the economy because we are paying better attention to investment, especially from foreign countries and even within Lagos itself because the state is just where everything is happening in terms of commerce.
Speaking of investments, we know for example that Walmart is interested in coming to this market, talk about the importance of retail in driving the development of the Lagos State economy.
The bulk of Lagos is the informal sector and the retail business is more or less like the engine room for the taxes that we get and we need to pay better attention so that because more of the people are actually in retail business and more artisans are in Lagos than those who are tied up that go to formal offices and in paying attention to that, you are paying attention to the greater part of the economy intimately. It is about growth and it is about job opportunities for our people.
One of the promises you made to Lagosians as a matter of urgency was the removal of multiple taxes and fees from our tax code, is there any update on those plans?
What people refer to as multiple taxes sometimes do not exist. But again, I am looking at it, believing that the taxes that they put up from the local government are not the same as the one you have in the state government but we already have a law that is in place which do not really charge citizens multiple taxes in respect of the same item. In moving forward, I believe we will apply a lot of technology in our tax administration in a way that will eliminate permanently the issues of multiple taxation in Lagos.
Another priority for the state is the building of infrastructure to improve the lives of Lagosians, I’ll like you to talk about your infrastructure plan for the state.
I must agree if we are talking about the level of infrastructure in Lagos, it is not sufficient. There is a drive between the huge population in Lagos as against the facilities that you have on ground but that not withstanding, we are having a shortfall. The main issue is to be able to create new modes of transportation. You cannot have a city where you have over 20 million people and the only mode of transportation is the road. We are believing that between now and the next three years, we should be able to activate water transportation in the state. We should be able to finish up our blue-line Light Rail that would move people from Mile 2 to CMS and also other means of transportation that can ease the movement of people. People are more interested about their connectivity and that’s where we are focused more now.
Just as you mentioned, Lagos is infamous for it’s traffic issues, what are some of the things that are being done to ease lots of these challenges which Lagosians face on day to day basis
It is something that Lagosians have actually complained about before I was actually elected. It will not go away, this is a cosmopolitan state and ever since I have resumed, there are more people that have entered into Lagos than ever before and that in itself is a challenge for congestion but the immediate solution is to fill up the potholes, try to fix the roads and then make sure that the LASTMA officials are up to the task and doing their work but that’s not enough, the bottom line is while we are doing that, there is a medium term plan in trying to solve the issues of traffic and that bothers more on applying other technology solutions to solve traffic challenges. People need to understand that as we move on, they will see major improvements on the roads and they will be able to plug in also to see other modes of transportation that we can use to move people around in the city.
You mentioned in July that the construction of the $1.5 billion Badagry Deep Sea Port will commence before the start of the year, are you still on track?
Yes we are. The bottom line is that the contractors are yet to move to site but I believe strongly that commencing that deep sea port would be a major solution that will turn around the economy of the Badagry axis. I believe that we cannot afford to have just one port in the whole of Lagos State, so beyond the Badagry Deep Sea Port, we are also thinking that we should commence work also on the Lekki Deep Sea Port. We need more than even two or three deep ports in Lagos, you have seen all the menace that comes around the Apapa Port and that’s not the way the city should live.
Let’s now talk about health and the work you are doing to transform the health sector in Lagos State.
I can clearly say that I am not too satisfied with the health sector. I am looking for a health sector that would be able to take care of every Lagosian irrespective of where they live or where they come from. Right now, we have about 26 general hospitals and in those facilities, we need to have what would trasform them specialist hospitals and would be able to repute themselves as international hospitals. Beyond giving them equipment and facilities, we believe strongly they should able to work 24/7 to the needs of our people. We have supplied intensive care ambulances to all the general hospitals in Lagos. We have also providing emergency ambulance services that residents can call in on our free toll service 24/7. We believe there should be a place that we can actually refer to as a medical park and that’s what we are still trying to put up in Ikoyi. We are already in the stage of trying to award that and we will be able to have a medical park that we can pride ourselves to be part of our tourism in Lagos. We are on our way to it but the most important thing is that we will create services that would be available to every Lagosian irrespective of their ages, creed or colour.
What of the plans to provide free medical healthcare for children up to the age of six, pregnant women and the aged in the state. Is that still on?
They are ongoing. It is a policy that I met on ground and I have already signed on to sustain it.
There is also the promise of free education for children up to the secondary level and one meal a day for each student, Is that still on track?
Free education up to secondary school level is the right of every child. It is in the constitution. It is not even a promise. It is something I am committed to. It is what we are doing and we have to comply with that constitution and provision.
In August, you announced the operation of a Treasury Single Account for all transactions commencing September 1. Talk about the significance of that move.
The TSA is of an international requirement and I believe strongly that we should comply with international standards and that’s what Lagos State has done that has really helped us. W we have been able to save money. In an institution, where I met transactions with huge interest rates, within the last three months, we have been able to negotiate our interest rates to a level where it is even lower than the rates that are applicable to treasury bills and we have been able to save over N3 billion on a monthly basis with that. Such savings have been shifted to capital expenditure that this whole governance is coming out to create.
You have made institutional innovations to enhance efficiency. Tell us about some of the moves you have made in that regards?
The message here is that we must reduce the cost of governance in every aspect. We’ll make sure we carry out such reforms. The reforms are dynamica and they are not static. So, what we have done is to be able to realign ministries and departments and agencies in such a way that we can save personal cost, recurrent expenditure and it is very successful, it’s ongoing, it’s not going to stop. Any area or aspect of governance that we see that we can reduce our expenses, we would do it because the most important part of governance is to be able to use such savings to create jobs for the people and also recreate infrastructure and that’s the direction in which this government is going.
You recently announced that your government has been saving N3 billion monthly by reducing the cost of governance. Would you say that this is your biggest achievement so far?
Absolutely not, It’s just one of those achievements. We have done other things. We have reawakened the health sector. We have started recruiting teachers into our primary schools and the essence of that is to secure the future of the children to be able to have quality education. Besides, we have started doing both reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads. Those areas that have been left behind are the areas we are concentrating on. We are in Ayobo area, on the mainland and in Kosofe Local Government Area. We are in places where they feel they have been forgotten and at the same time looking at the areas where we believe that we can reduce traffic congestion. In another few weeks, we should be able to commence the flyover construction on the Lekki axis and also going over to the Pen Cinema area in Agege to do another flyover. In all, there are so many plans in the pipeline. We have just done our first quarter and we believe that by the time we are moving into the end of the second quarter next month, a whole lot of these jobs would have become work in progress.
How optimistic are you about the long term plans for Lagos State and how quickly can we see things improving?
For security, we have a greater presence of security agencies on the streets of Lagos and beyond the fact that we want to improve on the equipment that we are giving them. We want to believe that we should be able to fight security by applying technology. We are going to reactivate all the CCTV cameras in Lagos. We would also make sure that the control command centre is reactivated and re-energised to be able to plug in into every aspect of the technology that we are trying to produce. We would fight crime from the air, on the waterways and make sure that our roads are safe and in doing that, it means that we can start to look at how we can run our transport system 24/7. We can make the economy to thrive for Lagosians to open up their shops or offices for business 24/7. And by the time we do that, you will see a greater Lagos that all of us would be proud of. The future of Lagos is secured, the prosperity of Lagos is for all of us to take and I believe strongly in a brighter and more prosperous Lagos. We are working towards it and I want everyone to take it that if anything good is happening in Nigeria, it has to be in Lagos and that’s what all of us are working towards. The future of Lagos is as bright as the sun shines.
No comments:
Post a Comment