Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Sunday presented a scorecard of his administration’s efforts to showcase the business-friendly environment and investment opportunities available in the state.
Sanwo-Olu, headed by State Government Secretary Mrs. Folasade Jaji, made this clear at the closing ceremony of the 36th Lagos International Trade Fair (LITF) in Lagos.
The governor said his tenure has done much to improve the business environment through the implementation of business-friendly policies.
This is to improve ease of doing business, increase incentives and reinforce the state government’s relentless commitment to infrastructure development and renewal, he explained.
Sanwo-Olu said construction work is underway in all parts of the state with the goal of creating a conducive environment for business, living and leisure.
Some of these are already facilitating the exchange of goods and services within cities and between provinces, he said.
As part of the scorecard, the governor revealed that Lekki Deep Sea Port has been completed and commissioned to begin operations in 2023.
He said Lagos has consciously offered 16,500 hectares of Lekki Free Zone land space to investors. Same for Ikorodu, Badagry, Ibeju Lekki and other locations for development.
Sanwo-Olu added that the institutionalization of the Public Private Engagement Mechanism (PPEM), tagged as the “Lagos Enterprise Council,” has become a veritable platform for receiving input and feedback from members of the organized private sector. I was.
According to him, much of such input has been incorporated into state policies to improve the business climate.
His administration said it is working with various stakeholders to position the state’s products and services for increased exports through the creation of the Lagos State Export Promotion Board.
“I am pleased that our efforts are yielding the desired results as Lagos has become an attractive brand that investors and businesses cannot ignore,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu is grateful to the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), organizers of the annual trade fair, for giving us the opportunity to introduce Lagos to the world.
He also praised the extraordinary willpower of the participants, especially small and medium-sized entrepreneurs. Their level of participation in the annual exhibition was very strong despite the prevailing business environment.
“I am confident that business owners and investors fully understood the essence of the theme of this year’s fair, ‘Connecting Businesses and Creating Value.’
“This is a wake-up call for all entrepreneurs as it is a powerful strategy for growing their business and overcoming the challenges prevalent in all business environments around the world.
“The Lagos International Fair is the premier trade fair in Nigeria and the flagship premier trade and business expo in the West African sub-region.
“We recognize that the event has been exceptional and extremely successful over the last 10 days, with large-scale participation by many exhibitors and patronage by prominent consumers, tourists and visitors.
“Undoubtedly, the challenge of benchmarking the state against global best practices, making it a model for others to follow, and growing it to become a decent smart city to rival its kind is a very daunting task. But it’s still achievable,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu reiterated that the state will continue to work hard and implement innovative and creative ideas driven by technology to meet the expectations and aspirations of Lagosians for Greater Lagos.
LCCI President Dr. Michael Olawale-Cole explained the past 10 days of exciting events and successful business interactions at the 2022 LITF.
Olawale-Cole acknowledged the incredible cooperation and support received from all involved, and the peace since the beginning of the event.
“It is heartwarming to note that the participants had meaningful business interactions during the fair.
Olawale-Cole called on governments at all levels to continue to work on appropriate policies to correct domestic environmental enabling issues, particularly infrastructure, insecurity and high inflation, which are key factors. rice field.
“We need to do these things to fully utilize the huge corporate resources of domestic and foreign investors for the diversification of our economy and the welfare of our people,” he said. Told.
