For 45 minutes on
Tuesday, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, explained the efforts of
his administration in the last four months to bring about sustainable solution
to traffic challenge in the State.
Beyond a short-term fix
that resulted in the ongoing rehabilitation of highways and arterial roads, the
Governor said Lagos would be expanding the capacity of its water transportation
and leveraging Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to address the
observed disorderliness in the mass transit system.
To this end, Sanwo-Olu
said his cabinet had approved the deployment of a six-kilometre wide
metropolitan fibre optic cable to be laid across the city. Upon completion, it
would deliver fast Internet broadband to all residents across the length and
breadth of the State. The project, which is expected to be delivered in four
months, would be used to drive compliance with the State’s traffic laws as well
as expand the capacities of its waterways, the Governor said.
The Governor was a
guest at The Platform Nigeria, a yearly programme organised by the Covenant
Christian Centre in Orile-Iganmu, Lagos. The church’s senior pastor, Poju
Oyemade, coordinated the session.
Giving details about
why Lagos would continue to experience traffic congestion, Sanwo-Olu said more
than 10 per cent of the nation’s 180 million population resided in the State,
adding that Lagos also has a vehicular movement average of 240 vehicles per
kilometre as against the national average, which ranges between 11 and 15
vehicles per kilometre.
For these reasons, the
Governor said there would always be traffic congestion on Lagos roads, but
pointed out that the transportation programmes of his administration were
developed to proffer solution that would reduce the residents’ pains.
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SANWO-OLU
He said: “To solve
Lagos traffic problems from short to medium term basis, we have decided to come
up with intermodal transport scheme, which will simultaneously see us
developing capacities in waterways, rail and terrestrial mass transit. Our
intervention is largely focused on the road, because it is the most used method
of transportation. Once the rainy season passes, we are going to embark on
extensive road rehabilitation across the State.
“The BRT programme is
on course and we have taken delivery of additional 800 buses, which we are
currently trying to clear from the Nigerian Port. Once this is done, we will be
able to remove a lot of yellow commercial buses off the road and we will have
articulated buses in line with our transportation plan.
“Our medium to
long-term plan involves the strengthening of water transportation system. We
have just acquired about seven new boats and we are about introducing ‘water
taxis’ that can ferry about 60 to 80 passengers each on a single trip. In our
long-term plan, we are developing our rail system by completing the Blue Line,
which started from Mile 2 to Marina.”
Sanwo-Olu explained his
administration’s policy direction on education, giving details on how
technology and fast Internet connectivity would be leveraged to deliver quality
education to pupils in public schools.
The Governor said the
State had finalised agreement with a tech-based education consultant to begin
the process of digitising school curriculum, with the objective to promote
accountability in the delivery of quality education.
Sanwo-Olu disclosed
that his administration had audacious programmes lined up to address the
current challenges facing the State, but hinted that the implementation of his
development agenda had largely been slowed down by a number of irrevocable
financial liabilities tied to the State’s resources by his immediate
predecessor.
He said: “We have to
look at the finances of the State. But, I know I cannot give excuses to
Lagosians that I met the State in financial mess. It would amount to
meaningless stories. And nobody will never know the real status of finances of
any State until they get there. It is until I got there that I realised how bad
we are in terms of outstanding liabilities, financial commitments to local
banks and Federal Government’s bonds.”
The Governor said
efforts were on to widen the tax net and improve the Internally Generated
Revenue (IGR) of the State, which, he said, would be used to fund some of the
pending capital projects.
Sanwo-Olu cautioned
those passing judgment on his four-month old government with a charge that the
period was “too short” to measure the impact of the administration. The
Governor said he believed in proper planning of key programmes before
implementation of decisions that would affect lives of the people.
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