Lagos State government says it will be granting a three-month interest waiver on loans obtained by Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) from the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) as part of the stimulus to stabilise the economy in post-Covid-19.
The state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced the measure while giving an update on the Covid-19 pandemic on Tuesday. According to him, the interest waiver is to demonstrate that the state government stands with the private enterprise, especially the MSMEs at this trying time.
Sanwo-Olu further announced other measures to cushion the impact of the additional 14-day lockdown on the state by the Federal Government, to contain the spread of the virus, to include daily feeding of youths in the streets and cash transfer to over 250,000 indigent citizens.
He added that the relief packages which come in form of food items that the government had been distributing to the vulnerable groups, would also in the coming days be extended to religious and ethnic groups, different political parties and tertiary institutions operating in Lagos.
The governor also said that he had directed the Police, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and other concerned security agencies, to release all vehicles impounded for minor traffic offences from March 1 up to April 14, to their owners after the current lockdown.
On rising insecurity, he said over 1000 hoodlums and suspected cultists who sought to take advantage of the lockdown to perpetrate criminality, have been arrested in the last two days, and would be charged to court.
He also said over 600 childbirths had been recorded in various public health facilities in Lagos in line with his earlier directive on free medical handling of emergency cases and childbirths to the residents at this period.
Sanwo-Olu also assured that the state government was increasing its capacity to handle more cases of the killer virus in the event of further spike, as additional isolation centres would be ready in different parts of the state this week.
Akin Abayomi, the commissioner for health, while also responding to a question on the spread of the virus in communities, said the medical teams had been able to trace 119 suspected cases, with samples collected and taken to laboratories for analysis.
