PROPERTY NEWS

The Lagos State Government has once again reiterated its commitment towards ensuring rapid urbanisation of the state through infrastructure upgrade and provision of new ones.

This was the position of the state Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and the Lagos Waste Management Agency (LAWMA) at the annual lecture of the Property and Environment Writers Association of Nigeria (PEWAN) held in Lagos on Thursday. The theme of the lecture is Vision 20:2020 & Sustainable Cities: The Lagos Example.

The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Ganiyu Solomon, said the administration of Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, is vigorously and sincerely pursuing all the contents of his 10-Points Agenda (TPA).

His words: "The administration is equally and truly achieving the result all round the facets of city. Results are seen across the city as new roads are constructed and old ones rehabilitated; new bridges constructed; schools rebuilt and upgraded and educational facilities supplied; shuttle and high capacity buses seen on roads; hospital buildings and facilities constructed and upgraded.

"Jetties and channelisation works carried out; public and security buildings constructed, security personnel supplied with adequate and modern facilities; youth development centres and stadia constructed; independent power plant development in progress; intricate systems of pipes for water supply and installation of street light all around Lagos; installation of renewable energy facilities around the city; landscaping of roads and public parks and centres, just to mention a few.

"Through these efforts of the government, living and working conditions of the citizens in Lagos have improved, socio-economic standard has risen and employment opportunities have been created. Security of lives and properties improved, while crime committing rate has reduced and social crisis reduced".

He added that in First World and Third World countries alike, rapid urbanisation has led to a number of social and economic problems, which include poverty, hunger, homelessness, crime, and disease transmission and that the resulting demand for land and resources has incurred numerous environmental concerns, including issues of pollution, sanitation management, water, energy, etc.

"In efforts to manage the well being of over 10 million people within the confines of city limits, local municipalities and governments have found it difficult to keep up with the population growth technologically, intellectually and financially. Simply, the cost of implementing programs to effectively serve the majority of the inhabitants skyrockets with each added individual.

"Consider for example, a seasoned First World megacity like New York City. After a century of immigrant and migrant influx and considerable financial resources, the basic issues of poverty, sanitation and transportation remain unaddressed or unresolved. The length and urgency of list of demands get longer with time, while available financial resources are depleted. As such, many residents and authorities have accepted the status quo. For Third World mega cities, where the population increases by thousands daily, the impact of overpopulation is even more pronounced without adequate resources to serve.

Inside every First World City is a Third World City. In even the most prosperous cities around the world, there is an inner city battered with poverty and subsequent inequalities. In general, this is underscored by conflicts of interests in terms of allocating resources and expenditures," Johnson added.

He stressed that aside corruption, many governments tend to focus on attracting potential investors, which in the short term means spending on beautification projects. Whereas the benefits of business influx cannot be underestimated, shantytowns are often cleared or neglected in favour of developing shopping malls, skyscrapers, upscale residences, and flyovers.

Johnson said the demand for land and living space also increases with population, which leads to increase in property prices. This combination often forces the majority working class to disperse to the outskirts, where conditions are overcrowded and lacking in public services. Hence, homelessness, crime, and health issues are exacerbated.

He said the state in its readiness toward addressing problems associated urbanisation sustain the City of Lagos has mapped out various strategies. These include entrenchment of good governance and commitment and dedication to achieving contents of high-level documents at continental level, federal level and state level. All these characteristics, he added, are practiced by the Government of Babatunde Raji Fashola towards the sustainability of Lagos as a 21st Century Mega City.

In his own submission, an Assistant General Manager at the Lagos State Waste Management Agency(LAWMA),Adedeji Koko said that the agency was poised to take waste management in the state to the next level.,

According to him, aside from the 100 compactors that the state government gave the outfit, over 350 additional ones making a total of 450 compactors are presently working in the state for the purpose of making the state clean.

Koko pointed out, that in no distant future; LAWMA would embark on the washing of major streets in the city after they have been swept. He was quick to add, that this was what obtains in developed climes.

He pointed out, that with this development; the life span of the roads would be increased, adding that efforts are being made to actualize this lofty idea in the coming year.

The LAWMA AGM who represented the Managing Director of the authority, Ola Oresanya further noted, that with the fast emerging status of Lagos as a mega city,LAWMA was saddled with the responsibility of making Lagos look clean and in conformity with a standard and modern mega city.

He said that the authority was capable of meeting the challenges of a mega city with the encouragement and the drive of the governor coupled with the able leadership of the helmsman at LAWMA.