New Telegraph

Sanwo-Olu and changing narrative in Lagos

It’s almost 370 days to the end of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration. Despite economic challenges and the COVID-19 pandemic, the narrative in Lagos State is changing in the area of infrastructure development. Muritala Ayinla report

In the beginning
Apparently dissatisfied with the state of things when he assumed office, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration hit the ground running with the signing of an Executive Order aimed at addressing sanitation issues and traffic congestion in the state on May 30, 2019. The Executive Order, which was titled “Re: Enforcement of Law and Order in respect of Traffic and Sanitation Matters,” was issued to restore stability and a culture of accountability. The governor subsequently declared a state of emergency on the environment and traffic management in the state in a bid to restore sanity, stability and a culture of accountability which had disappeared in the state of ‘Aquatic Splendour’. Prior to the signing of the Executive Order, incessant traffic and unwholesome sanitation practices had been major challenges in Lagos State. Sanwo-Olu said: “From the date of the Executive Order, there shall be zero tolerance for environmental abuse, including illegal and indiscriminate refuse dumping and construction of structures on drainage points and setbacks.” Hence, on October 13, 2019, Sanwo-Olu announced the solution. Eight months earlier, and three months before Sanwo-Olu assumed office, a report by a non-governmental organisation surfaced showing worrying data about one aspect of infrastructure in the ‘Centre of Excellence’. The report said: “Finally, we observed some glitches in the construction of certain routes ranging from poor quality to contractors’ disappearance from sites to lack of proper implementation. In specific terms, the use of substandard materials like asphalt and bitumen, which often lead to the short lifespan of roads, is also recorded.”

Tackling the challenges

To change the narrative of commuting experiences of Lagosians, Governor Sanwo- Olu engaged eight construction firms to immediately begin work on fixing the roads “considered critical to the reduction of traffic congestion in the state.” The highways were renovated by the engaged construction giants while the Lagos State Public Works Corporation (LSPWC) carried out repairs of 116 inner roads across the state. As predicted, the gridlock disappeared gradually, while more roads were completed and commissioned. Some of the roads include four roads at Kosofe, Somolu, Victoria Island and Ikoyi, 384-capacity multi-level car park at Onikan, three network of roads at Oniru, Victoria Island [Adeola Hopewell, Idowu Taylor and Afribank/Churchgate Streets], Ikoyi network of roads – Mac Donald /Lateef Jakande roads, Milverton Road and Thompson Avenue in Ikoyi, Eti-Osa Local Government as well as the Ijede Road Phase 1 in Ikorodu. Others were the 1.4km flyover and dual carriageway Pen-Cinema Bridge, Agege; Tedi-Muwo Link Bridge, Lagos-Ogun bound-ary roads in Alimosho and Agbado-Oke–Odo access roads. They also include 31 networks of roads in Ojokoro Local Council Development Area, completed and commissioned 13.68-kilometre Oshodi-Abule-Egba BRT corridor. The state government also carried out junction/roundabouts improvement in major areas like – Allen, Ikotun, Maryland, Lekki and Ajah [under Traffic Management Intervention Plan (TMIP] and did 110 palliatives and 361 sectional rehabilitations on roads across the state, while rehabilitating 650 inner roads through the Lagos State Public Works Corporation [LSPWC].

Beyond junction improvement

One key road infrastructure that undoubtedly solved major traffic conflicts in Ikeja and environs as well as served as a legacy project for the Sanwo-Olu administration was flagged off on January 27, 2022. It is the 3.89-kilometrelong Ojota-Opebi link Bridge which will open into Ojota axis in Kosofe, taking traffic from Opebi U-turn and dropping it at Ikorodu Road via an intersection that will be constructed under Odo Iya Alaro Bridge at Mende. The road will be supported by 276 metre-long deck-on-pile bridge and 474 metre-long mechanically stabilised earthwall approach sections. The carriageway, which is a new connectivity, would create an easy exit for commuters leaving Ikeja-Onigbongbo axis towards Ojota and Maryland. The project was initiated to proffer permanent solution to inadequacies of Opebi Link Bridge and the Opebi U-turn, and to ease pressure on overburdened routes within Ikeja, with the objective to reduce travel time along the corridor.

Going intermodal transportation

In a bid to demonstrate to his administration’s commitment to completion of the Red Line Metro rail project, Governor Sanwwo- Olu acquired 10-car intra-city metropolitan speed trains for the 37-km Lagos Red Line project, compensating 263 residents affected by the project’s right of way. His administration also completed the 380-metre-long sea crossing bridge component of the Lagos Blue Line Rail spanning Mile 2 to Marina, flagged off the Lagos Red Line Rail Mass track sharing with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), on April 15, 2021. To provide a better alternative to commercial motorcycles which has been banned as a form of transportation in some parts of the state, Sanwo-Olu launched 500 units of First and Last Mile (FLM) buses and injected 560 high-medium capacity buses for standard routes. The governor also launched LagRide with 1,000 units of Sport Utility Vehicles [SUVs], commissioned four Bus Terminals – Mafo-luku, Yaba, Oyingbo and Ajah, completed 78 bus shelters/bus depots while 22 are ongoing, reconfigured 6 Junctions/Roundabouts – Allen, Ikotun, Lekki I & II, and Ajah. And for effective traffic management in the state metropolis, about 1,300 Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) officers were employed to manage traffic in addition to the deployment of traffic lights and CCTV cameras in strategic places in the State. The state also delivered 14 new BRT stations. Water transportation also received a boost with the procurement of 21 boats for LAGFERRY eight of which were inaugurated by the governor on February 6, 2020, while seven new ones were added to the fleet on June 22, 2021.

Making LagosHoms accessible, affordable

Sanwo-Olu, on July 24, 2021, rewarded Nigeria’s only individual Olympic gold medallist, Chioma Ajunwa with a threebedroom flat at the Babatunde Raji Fashola Housing Estate, Iponri. The reward came 25 years after former Lagos State Military Administrator, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, promised Ajunwa a house for winning the long jump gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. The house was one of the 132 home units (88 home units and 44 home units of threebedroom apartments respectively) completed by the Sanwo-Olu administration. Others include the 480-unit housing project in Ibeshe, Ikorodu, 774 housing units LagosHOMS, Sangotedo Phase 1, 100 housing units in Ikate, Lekki, 360 home units, comprising 120-units home in Igbogbo, 252 home units, Idale, Badagry and 120 units Courtland Villas, Igbokushu, Lekki, among others.

Striving for healthy Lagosians

ition to the remarkable efforts made to combat the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic, under Governor Sanwo-Olu, the construction of a new Massey Children’s Hospital was flagged off to become a 150-bed specialist hospital and the biggest Children’s Hospital in Sub-Saharan Africa when completed. These and many others are part of the state’s health sector plans.

Managing security, emergencies

The state witnessed an unprecedented security challenge during the anti-police brutality protests of late 2020 which resulted in the destruction of public and private property, including 27 police stations, the Igbosere High Court, among others running into trillion naira worth of damages state wide. However, the state seems to be slowly restoring the lost infrastructure, enforcing law and order and restoring confidence in law enforcement.

The governor on June 10, 2021, donated 150 vehicles, four high-capacity troop carriers, 30 patrol cars, and two anti-riot water cannon vehicles to the police as part of efforts to strengthen security responses across the state. President Muhammadu Buhari, who was visiting the state, personally took inventory and commissioned the security equipment.

Construction, rehabilitation of public schools

The government’s records show that it has also built and commissioned schools, recreational facilities in Elemoro Junior Secondary School, Ibeju-Lekki axis of the State, commissioned 180-bed hostel, block of classrooms, others at Model College Igbokuta, upgraded two higher institutions to universities, constructed 4,000 flats for the staff of the Lagos State University [LASU], renovated and digitised 243 public secondary schools’ libraries, supplied 86,000 dual furniture sets to 775 public schools, constructed 70 new school buildings, while over 1,097 school projects are being undertaken state wide. These include 300 classrooms to be delivered in public secondary schools, construction of 8,272-bed for LASU students.

Social/economic interventions

To help boost residents’ livelihood and businesses, the administration said 1,050 rural women received intensive training in boosting outputs in agricultural production and the beneficiaries were given equal access to markets. The state also supported 2,704 residents, whose means of livelihood were disrupted by the coronavirus [COVID- 19] pandemic, supported 18 outstanding students from the Skill Acquisition Centres with N100,000 each in 2019 and rescued 48,000 households from poverty through various social intervention programmes under which women got cash transfers and acquired skills. Added to this was the Medium and Small Scale Enterprises (MSME) Programmes of the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF).under which the state supported 3,673 businesses with N1.156 billion, backed 1,835 businesses with N939.97 million and saved 10,005 direct jobs, 40,020 indirect jobs via the MSME Recovery Fund, an intervention programme to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and #EndSARS protests on businesses, initiated the N5 billion EduFund in partnership with First Bank and EdFin MFB, set up a N1 billion fund targeted at businesses in the tourism, hospitality, entertainment, arts and culture sectors – both loans and grants and introduced a N1 billion Agriculture Value Chain Fund targeted at businesses that operate within the Agric value chain among others.

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