Coronavirus: Lagos says budget to prioritise employment, Agric to stimulate economy

The Lagos government says it will prioritise employment, agriculture and other sectors that have the capacity to generate employment quickly for the state as part of measures to cushion the effect of the Coronavirus pandemic on the state economy.

Sam Egube, Commissioner for Budget & Planning, Lagos State stated this in Lagos on Thursday during the inter-ministerial Covid-19 update briefing, saying that the move by the Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration will stimulate the economy.

Egube said the Lagos government was engaging with various stakeholders in the state to know the best line of action to take in this new budget re-direction.

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He declared that the governor has shown significant leadership in implementing his economic strategies even as the Coronavirus pandemic has put a strain on economic activities in the State.

Akin Abayomi, Commissioner for Health in his briefing, disclosed that the State would in the coming week receive two additional isolation bed facilities in Gbagada and Landmark, Victoria Island to ramp up the number of isolation bed spaces received so far to about 400.

The commissioner further disclosed that Lagos State now has the capacity to test independently through its three new testing facilities.

On his part, Gbolahun Daudu, commissioner for Agriculture said the palliative initiative deployed in the state has ensured that the poor and vulnerable are catered for. He assured that the 200,000 household target set for the palliative measure will be met in the coming days.

The Commissioner for Environment, Tunji Bello announced that the ministry has sanitised major highways, streets and markets as a preventive measure to contain the spread of the disease.

He assured that plans are on to clear all the secondary drainages in the state before the raining season begins.

Folashade Adefisayo, commissioner for Education disclosed that the state government in partnership with First Bank Plc would be rolling out one million educational devices to support students learning at home pending the resumption of schools.

Adefisayo noted that there were also radio education programmes that the state government has put in place to ensure that students in the state continue to learn during the holiday occasioned by the pandemic.