LASG seeks PPP to boost socio-economic development

The Lagos State Government says Public-Private Partnership (PPP) is critical to sustain the growth and development of the state. The Lagos State Head of Service, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, said this on Monday during the 2019 PPP Lagos Roundtable organised by the Office of Public and Private Partnership. Muri-Okunola said that Lagos was confronted with continuous population growth with attendant pressure on social services and amenities like hospitals, schools, roads, bridge and power, among others. He said that it was quite evident that the competing needs for government’s resources had made the PPP model a most viable critical component of a number of socio-economic development strategies that any serious government might consider. According to him, government cannot do it alone, hence, the need for the PPP strategy. ”Given its relative advantages in many respects, Lagos is easily one of Africa’s most preferred investment destination. ”This should not be surprising given its strategic location, population and status as Nigeria’s commercial hub and a nationally acclaimed “Centre of Excellence”. ”In recognition of the need to create an environment that is conducive for investment and living, succeeding administrations in Lagos had focused on the development and implementation of several policies. ”These policies and initiatives are aimed at ensuring sustainable socio-economic development of the state,” he said. Ope George, the Director-General, Office of Public and Private Partnership, said that it was projected that the population of Lagos State would be about 30 million by 2035. George said that this brought to mind the need to provide adequate social and physical infrastructure across all sectors. He said that such infrastructure were to serve the needs of the people in healthcare, agriculture, transportation, education, energy, housing, entertainment and tourism, among others. According to him, government alone cannot provide the needed infrastructure based on the necessity and financial challenges of servicing all socio-economic needs of the people and providing an environment that is conducive for businesses to thrive. ”A look across the landscape of Lagos would reveal the various opportunities for stakeholders and investors. ”These opportunities will enable stakeholders and investors to partner with government in providing the necessary infrastructure to support socio-economic development for the empowerment of our people. ”These opportunities will generate jobs and create wealth for investors. ”Lagos needs to continue to find ways of enabling infrastructure development and achieve its maximum economic potential. ”In order to achieve this objective, there is a necessity for the public and private sectors to synergise,” he said.