Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday said that timely completion of Lekki Port would put an end to the intractable Apapa gridlock.
Sanwo-Olu said this at the Opening Ceremony of the Africa Business Convention, organised by Business Day Newspaper at Victoria Island.
He said that the completion of Lekki Port would ease the congestion along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, the port access roads and Apapa environs.
The governor said that several measures would be put in place to ensure that Apapa was decongested and the state government needed to change the officials regularly to ensure there was no compromise in services rendered.
Sanwo-Olu said that government was committed to delivering the dividends of democracy to residents and had completed iconic projects within the state in the last two and half years.
He cited infrastructural projects like Lekki Deep Port, 4th Mainland Bridge, Red and Blue line rails and Imota Rice Mills, among others that were ongoing or in the pipeline, to be completed and become operational within the next 24 months.
The governor said that the process leading to the commencement of the construction of the 4th Mainland Bridge, which would start from Badore in Ajah and end in Ikorodu, would be completed before the second quarter of the year.
”Lagos is, in addition to being Africa’s most populous megacity, the continent’s premier business and investment destination, and we will continue to do all within our power to remain so.
”As I speak, several landmarks, public and private infrastructure and investment projects are underway or nearing completion in Lagos State.
”These include the biggest single-train Petroleum Refinery in the world, one of the largest Rice Mills in the world, one of the largest and most modern Deep-Sea Ports on the continent, and West Africa’s biggest Light Rail network.
”Within the next 24 months, we expect all of these to be operational.
”We are also Africa’s Startup capital, ahead of Nairobi, Cape Town and Johannesburg, in terms of the number of startups and in terms of investment inflows and the size of exits.
“Flutterwave and Paystack, two of the most prominent African unicorns of the decade, were born here.
”In addition, we are home to several major investments ongoing in real estate, like Eko Atlantic on the edge of Victoria Island, and Alaro City on the Lekki Peninsula,” he said.
The Publisher of Business Day Newspaper, Mr Frank Aigbogun, commended Gov. Sanwo-Olu for the great work done in ridding Apapa of traffic gridlocks and for delivering on his promises to residents.
”When we had the interview, which I moderated, hosted by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry before the elections in 2019, Apapa dominated that conversation.
”I don’t know how often you go to Apapa Mr Governor, but I think between 23 and 27 minutes these days, you get Apapa.
”So, Mr Governor, I want to acknowledge the work that you have done and to commend you and your team for delivering on your promises,” Aigbogun said. (NAN)
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