We do not need official statistics to recognize the strides that Lagos state is taking to change the face of Greater Lagos Area. Other states could be doing greater things but Lagos remains the cynosure of our eyes, perhaps being the commercial hub of Nigeria or because of its enormous population that has bestowed on it a mega city status.

1. Lagos State, Nigeria Marches Forward
We do not need official statistics to recognize the strides that Lagos state
is taking to change the face of Greater Lagos Area. Other states could be
doing greater things but Lagos remains the cynosure of our eyes, perhaps
being the commercial hub of Nigeria or because of its enormous population
that has bestowed on it a mega city status.
Being a mega city in itself is troubling as it suggests that infrastructure has
to be enough for the teeming population that call Lagos their home. Further,
it has to be attractive enough to retain its commercial hub status and to
attract new ones. It is therefore newsworthy to read of several projects
embarked upon by the state government to meet with the infrastructure
needs of the people in the 21st century.
Realizing the weight of the tasks ahead, the state has equally called on the
private sector and foreign investors to consider Lagos state for their
business, providing opportunities for franchising, concessions and adoption
of projects such as roads etc.
In other to make the state investment friendly while ensuring that its
residents were not frustrated, the state government has accelerated its
transportation project which this year, 2009 would include the railways to
buoy the bus rapid transit and jetties. The state has construed an energy
village, use of wind as an alternative energy and floated a 50 billion Naira
infrastructure development bond to boost investment in the state, the
governor Babatunde Fashola calls the investment haven of the whole world.
Landscaping and planting of trees is taking place in all parts of the state to
improve the aesthetics of the city while serving as absorbents for the high
level of carbon emissions from the numerous vehicles that ply its roads and
highways, exacerbated by bad roads, snarling traffic and the introduction of
motorbikes.
Activities of the Lagos state government leave no one in doubt of their
desire to reach their set goals in the realization of the UN Millennium
Development Goals through its SEEDS programs and the 20-2020 initiative
of the Federal Government, hence the call for state residents and corporate
bodies to meet up with their tax obligations to the state.

2. Lagos state has not hidden its urgent desire to transform the state to a
highly industrialized state with the various economic summits held, the
opening of the Lekki Free Zone and plans to open up more business zones
away from Lagos Island.
This state is not interested in aids but partnership; the governor reminded
the visiting German President, Horst Koehler. However, the type of business
development expected has to be different from the conventional pathways
adopted by Germany and other countries during the ‘smokestack’ industrial
revolution. This makes Mr. Koehler’s visit particularly significant as Nigeria
and Germany signed an energy partnership. Lagos state and in fact the
entire country should not be considered a dumping ground for overused
machinery and spent technology from the West as presently witnessed in
the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) sector.
Lagos state government should continue in its efforts at providing new or
improved programs to better capture the enormous potential for energy
savings in existing industries and proposed facilities due to their impact on
the environment and economic development.
In other words, efficiency improvements to generate more economic output
with less energy input, for instance, in production processes and urban
transportation systems is essential for reasons of energy supply security,
economic competitiveness, improvement in livelihoods, and environmental
sustainability.
Lagos state should learn from the mistakes of rapidly developing countries
including Brazil, Russia, India and China by deploying technologies that are
sustainable, energy efficient and would improve the quality of life of its
14million people. As a microcosm of the entire country, other states would
emulate its pathway to economic development if properly implemented. The
Federal Government should on its part grant Lagos a special status to enable
it continue to function as the state for all Nigerians and visitors to Nigeria.
Ndudi Osakwe
IBG Nigeria/Infoplus
Lagos, Nigeria
http://ibgnigeria.blogspot.com