Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu said on Thursday said that his administration would continue to leverage technology to transform the state’s economy while easing impediments for businesses to flourish.
The governor is also hopeful that the smart city ambition of state would be fully realised by 2030.
Sanwo-Olu said his administration had begun the implementation of the smart city plan with the rollout of 6,000km metro fibre optics, which is the requisite infrastructure for the smart city project. In the next nine years, the Governor said every residence, school and office in Lagos would have access to fast Internet connectivity.
Advanced technology and high bandwidth penetration, he said, would bring more prosperity to businesses and MSMEs operating in the State.
Read Also: Lagos Smart City project: No choice but continuity
He spoke at the 2021 Out-of-Home advertising conference and exhibition organised by the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) which held at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island.
Sanwo-Olu, represented by his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, said the state government would provide supporting infrastructure and leverage data to enhance capacity of small and medium scale enterprises.
Speaking on the theme: “roadmap for the growth of signage and out-of-home advertisement post COVID-19 in Lagos,” Sanwo-Olu said his administration had started to address challenges impeding transformation of State into 21st century economy.
“As a government, we recognise that we have a role to play in creating enabling and regulatory environment for business to grow, while addressing the impact of the pandemic on business activity. Our focus is on pushing forward on our Smart City agenda to transform businesses, including marketing and advertising business.
“Technology is the current value of exchange globally and our smart city plan is predicted on this. We dream to become a Smart City of relevance and our main goal is to optimise city functions and promote economic growth while also improving the quality of the lives of our citizens. By using smart technologies and data analysis, we can properly plan based on predictions.
“We are making appreciable progress in the ongoing laying of metropolitan optic fibre, as well as the installation of smart cameras in strategic locations across the state. We believe that these two projects are critical to enhancing the ability of businesses to effectively operate. This technology will be supported by efficient and stronger bandwidth connectivity.”
Commissioner for the environment and water resources, Tunji Bello, said the conference would create a roadmap for the out-of-home advertising industry and foster effective collaboration with all stakeholders in the sector.
Managing director of LASAA, Adedamola Docemo, said the objective of the conference was to raise the confidence of stakeholders in the Sanwo-Olu administration as a public sector partner.
He said the agency would be rolling out policies and programmes that would improve sectoral investment, drive sustainable growth, encourage regular engagement and development of the state.
