Amidst the economic recession and dwindling financial resources occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lagos State Government has declared its readiness to partner with the organised private sector for sustainable road infrastructure in Lagos State.
This was disclosed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Engineer Aramide Adeyoye while addressing members of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), who paid her a courtesy visit on Tuesday.
According to Engr. Adeyoye, the State Government is encouraging private sector collaboration on infrastructure development due to inadequate financial resources to achieve the government’s lofty vision for creating new roads and upgrading existing facilities.
She maintained that Lagos is deliberately promoting its performance index on the Ease of Doing Business matrix, to ensure a win-win situation for private sector partners of the State government.
Adeyoye applauded Zenith and Access banks for their collaboration with the government towards the improvement of public infrastructure, saying that the partnership created access to additional funding for infrastructure growth and renewal.
The Special Adviser urged the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria to encourage its members to partner with the government, pointing out that there are concessions such as tax holidays, branding and advertisement concessions attached to such partnerships.
Speaking in a similar vein, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Olujimi Hotonu noted that government cannot provide the entire infrastructure required across Lagos all alone, inviting companies to support the Public Infrastructure Improvement Programme, PIIP, of the present administration to maintain and rehabilitate existing infrastructure so that the government can concentrate more on the provision of new roads.
Also Contributing to discussions at the event, the General Manager, Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory, LSMTL, Dr. Abiodun Afolabi, reiterated the Agency’s ability to carry out various quality assurance tests and urged MAN to insist on adherence to quality standards in all areas of its members’ operations.
Dr. Afolabi expressed readiness to support corporate bodies but insisted that LSMTL will always operate within its ministerial mandate and, therefore, will not tolerate inferior quality or standards that will jeopardise the lives and property of Lagosians.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of Ikeja branch of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Mrs. Oluchi Odimuko commended the State government for the daily upload of its construction work schedules on its website, but requested that LSMTL should review its bills in view of the harsh economic situation imposed by the global pandemic.
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