LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT REFUNDS 145 FORMER SUBSCRIBERS OF EGAN HOUSING ESTATE
admin - British MP visits Lagos in first diplomatic mission to Africa
By Oyebola Owolabi
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu yesterday received the United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, in a courtesy call at the State House in Marina.
Lammy said his visit was to further enhance the bilateral ties between the two countries, creating mutual understanding that would unlock more opportunities for both sides in thriving trade relations.
He said: “My first port of call in my visit to Africa is Lagos, which is naturally a bustling economic hub not just for Nigeria, but also West Africa. What I have been experiencing since my arrival is dynamism, vibrancy and huge opportunities that exist in this great city. These values befit our approach to the continent, which rests on mutual growth of our economies.
“We have seen how the Red Line is increasing transportation options, and it is pleasing to see UK manufacturers as being part of this transportation growth in Lagos. We want to see more of mutual cooperation in this sector. There is more we can do in several other areas. I am here to say the UK is very much open for more business with our old friends, and I dare say Lagos represents the old friendship. There is a win-win for our businesses and our societies.”
The UK Foreign Secretary added that his country looks forward to a new partnership with Lagos in expansion of clean energy consumption, which would help the city to bolster its adaptation to climate change.
He was accompanied by the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery, and his deputy, Jonny Baxter.
Sanwo-Olu told the visiting British envoy that the new UK’s trade approach aligned with the state’s growth plan, noting that Lagos possesses a huge population of creative and dynamic young people yearning for new opportunities across sectors.
According to him, the government has sustained an investment in knowledge-based training opportunities for young people to develop their talents and make their skills lucrative in modern economic order.
This agenda, the governor said, is to make Lagos ‘the human development capital of the continent where investors would find competent professionals with right skills in any sector of the economy’.
Governor also Sanwo-Olu shared business opportunities waiting to be harnessed in waste management, stressing that Lagos grapples with over 10,000 metric tons of waste daily, which could serve as raw materials for companies converting waste to clean energy.
He said: “We want you to go back home with the level of confidence that Lagos is a place to put investment, and we will continue to make this environment a lot more attractive to businesses that are looking forward to more growth and opportunities.”
