By Adesola Ikulajolu
While no state government has overtly admitted to drawing inspiration and making imitations of Lagos, there are telltale signs of replicated patterns ideated by Lagos. Lagos is the first past the winning post. Sanwo-Olu’s terrain is not called the “Center of Excellence for Fun.”
Rankings and ratings are known to place Lagos at the upper rungs of the ladder in revenue generation as well as commercial adaptability. In this report, we appraise the variables of ingenuity that have consistently made the state an envy of others.
Lagos State is Unapologetically Ambitious: Lagos has made a number of bold economic decisions which could have easily intimidated other states. With a budget of ₦1.692 trillion for 2023, Lagos makes more contributions to national economic growth than it gets credit for. Apparently, an appreciable chunk of this figure will go into the progress of the diverse economic projects already embarked on by the state, some of which are near completion while others are at infancy. There is no denial of the physical transformation of several landscapes within the state.
Another enviable feat of the Governor Sanwo-Olu led-administration is the completion of the Lekki Deep Sea Port, which is due to commence operation in 2023. This project gives Lagos State an edge over other states in the race to attract international investors and business owners.
Lagos Has the Love Language to Woo Businesses: This state has been intentional in its schemes to endear its territory to commercial activities. During the “Lagos State Day” and the grand finale of the 36th edition of the Lagos International Trade Fair held at the Tafawa Balewa Square, the governor asserts that his administration will leave no stone unturned in implementing business-friendly policies.
Prominent centers of commerce in Lagos include the Alaba International Market, Computer Village, and Lekki Free Zone, among others. This has lent credence to the saying, “If you are looking for anything, come to Lagos.” Some have even labeled Lagos a “Home of All Things.”
The fertile soil of Lagos, in which businesses thrive, has given Lagos a pride of place in tourist attraction. Lagos attracts visitors as sugar granules attract insects; statistics reveal more traffic in Lagos than in other states in Nigeria.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State
Governor Sanwo-Olu and his administration “have consciously made provision for land space for investors at Lekki Free Zone with 16,500 hectares and did the same at Gberigbe in Ikorodu, Badagry, Ibeju Lekki and other places for development.”
There is also the creation of the Lagos State Export Promotion Committee to promote the exportation of locally made products. This will increase the exportation of products and services, which will also position the state as an economy worth emulating by others.
Interestingly, out of over $1.7 billion investment ventures that came into Nigeria, 70% came into Lagos startups. Also, over the past six months, about $1 billion in data centre investment has been poured into Lagos. All of these can be traced to the projects the state is executing, including the Smart City Plan to transform Lagos into a technology-driven State.
Lagos’ Transportation System is Optimized to the State’s Advantage: Traffic congestion is one of the odds of the rapid growth of the state. Anyone commuting from Lekki to Ikorodu or Ikeja to Oshodi or Ketu to Berger or Abule-Egba to Surulere or Agege to Mile 2 or Apapa to Amuwo-Odofin can attest to the potency of Lagos traffic to ground you for 5 hours. Graciously, the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system has been designed to circumvent this challenge with the dedicated BRT lane that connects to different parts of the state.
A recent transportation innovation is the red-blue line train, ready for use in Lagos. This train, using an electrically powered rail, will serve some parts of Lagos and ease the flow of traffic.
It is also necessary to state the effective efforts of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) in giving updates on traffic reports and handling all road emergencies to ensure the smooth flow of traffic. Without mincing words, Lagos remains the state with a dedicated radio station to report live traffic situations and provide alternative routes to road users – Traffic FM in Lagos is an ally to transporters and commuters.
As part of efforts to discourage the importation of vehicles, Lagos State which is an entry point for most vehicle dealers, now has an automobile hub. This is a result of the partnership between the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and NORD Automobile (an indigenous vehicle manufacturing company in Nigeria).
The Chairman/CEO, NORD Automobile, Mr. Oluwatobi Ajayi said the hub, which comprises manufacturing, assembling, showroom, after sales service and research and development centre, has brought a new era in which Nigerians’ desire to drive new cars would be fulfilled. This development which has been commended by Governor Sanwo-Olu will serve the entire Nigeria while boosting investments in the state.
Lagos Invests in Youths: Lagos has also been confirmed as the most NYSC-friendly state. When the Chairman of the NYSC Governing Board, Amb Fatima Balla Abubakar was praising the state, she clearly mentioned that Lagos has implemented what other states are yet to prioritize.
Do you know what Lagos does differently for the NYSC? The state pays a monthly stipend for corps members that is about three times higher than what other states pay.
“All animals are equal,” they say, “but some are more equal than the others,” they added. Lagos State has undoubtedly proven to be the ‘first among equals’. When next someone asks what Lagos State is spending its IGR and federal government allocation on, tell them that Lagos is setting the pace for others; tell them to visit Lagos and see, as seeing is believing. Who knows what else Government Sanwo-Olu and his team still have up their sleeves in the interest of Lagos State?
Adesola writes for Eko Hot Blog. This media platform reserves all rights to this article.
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