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EFCC to arraign Emefiele,1 other in Lagos court Monday

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will on Monday (April 8) arraign the embattled former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, before Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offences Court, for alleged abuse of office.

Emefiele will be arraigned alongside one Henry Omoile before Oshodi on a 26-count bordering on  abuse of office, accepting gratification, accepting gifts through agents, corruption, and fraudulent property receipt.

The former CBN governor was also alleged of conferring corrupt advantage on his associates contrary to the Corrupt Practices Act of 2000.
The charge sheet, marked ID/23787c/2024, was dated April 3 and was filed by Mr Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN).

One of the counts stated that Emefiele allegedly committed abuse of office between 2022 and 2023, in Lagos, an offence punishable under Section 73 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

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Another count alleged that Emefiele directed to be done in abuse of the authority of his office, as the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, an arbitrary act, to wit: allocating foreign exchange in the aggregate sum of $2.2 billion without bids.

Also, it was alleged that Emefiele abused the authority of his office  by allocating foreign exchange in the aggregate sum of $291 million  without bids, which act was prejudicial to the rights of Nigerians.

Emefiele’s co-defendant was alleged to have acted as an agent and accepted from Raja Punjab through Monday Osazuwa, the total sum of $110,000, for the ex-CBN as a reward for allocating foreign exchange by the Central Bank in favour of Raja Punjab’s employer. (NAN)

By Adenike Ayodele

FG putting in place  initiatives to improve  the power sector-minister

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The Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu says the Federal Government is putting in place a number of initiatives to improve the power sector.

Adelabu said this at the Ministerial press briefing Series organised by the Ministry of Information and National Orientation on Friday in Abuja.

He said that the Federal Government has put in place a  presidential power initiative to ensure that  power infrastructure  were  enhanced and improved across the sector.

” There is also the  Presidential Meter Initiative (PMI) put in place to  ensure that the meter gap  is addressed.

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”And we also have a lot of development banks that are working with us on several projects in transmission and distribution.

‘”So as a ministry, we are committed to making an impact during this administration,”he said.

Adelabu said that government was also ramping up generation  companies, adding that a lot was being done in the  transmission segment of the industry

The minister said that government had invested in gas-to-power infrastructure and implemented policies to attract private investment.

However, despite these impressive reforms, a significant portion of our population still lacks access to reliable electricity.

 ”Against this backdrop, the country began to explore more off-grid power sector solutions to address energy poverty and key into our Energy Transition Plan.

The minister said that government  also have projected  in renewable energy across the country which was aimed at taking electricity supply to the rural communities and the underserved Nigerians.

He said that the  Federal Government   had made significant efforts to provide the enabling environment to promote, attract and protect private sector participation and investment, required to bridge the energy access gap.

According to him, Government has made Data Driven Decisions by collaborating with some experts to develop the Integrated Energy Planning Toolkit.

”This innovative tool provides real-time data to pinpoint ideal locations for renewable energy projects streamlining investment decisions.

”We have developed legal frameworks that have liberalised the entire electricity value chain, integrated renewable energy

”Established an Independent Systems Operator (ISO), guidelines for franchising, captive power and mini grid regulations.

” In addition, programmes being implemented by the Rural Electrification Agency have been successful in providing traditional and innovative financing opportunities for private sector driven interconnected and off grid project delivery,”he said.(NAN)

By Constance Athekame

We’ll empower Nigerians with skills in air-conditioning and refrigeration – Minister Newsdiaryonline

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Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Environment, said this at the handing over ceremony of refrigeration and air-conditioning servicing equipment and tools to training centres on Friday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise was carried out under the Hydrochlorofluorocarbons Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP).

Salako said he felt accomplished to supervise a critical leg of the HPMP project, which was the hand over of refrigeration/air-conditioning servicing equipment and tools to the first batch of HPMP certified training centres in Nigeria.

He said the equipment and tools were procured under the HPMP being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Environment in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the Government of Italy.

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“The endpoint of this project is to completely eliminate Nigeria’s 2010 baseline consumption of 344.9 tonnes of HCFCs by 2040,” Salako said.

He noted that over the years, the refrigeration and air-conditioning service sector in Nigeria had remained largely unstructured with a large presence of informal, small and medium scale practitioners with little or no presence of qualified engineers.

“The technical capacity of technicians in the sector, therefore, remained very low and inadequate to drive the total HCFCs phase-out plan of the country.

“To address this challenge, one of the major activities proposed by my ministry and approved for implementation under the HPMP Stage 2 in 2018 is the establishment of Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Centres of Excellence,” he said.

He explained that this would be through strengthening of existing training centres to provide best practices, using non-ozone depleting and low global warming refrigerants as well as improving energy efficiency of cooling appliances.

“Consequently, in July 2023, 32 technicians were sent to Italy by the Federal Ministry of Environment in collaboration with UNDP.

“These technicians received training and certification at an Italian company on using hydrocarbon refrigerants and improving energy efficiency in the servicing sector.

“The graduants will be operating training centres across the country and are expected to train and certify over the next few years not less than 10,000 technicians on good refrigeration practices using hydrocarbon refrigerants,” he said.

According to him, the Federal Ministry of Environment is currently updating the curriculum to be used for the training and certification programme.

“In addition, necessary policies and minimum standards to ensure that only trained and certified technicians are allowed to practice refrigeration and air-conditioning servicing in the country will soon be made public and will be strictly enforced,” Salako said.

Some of the equipment handed over to the training centres included: Refrigeration handling tools such as service manifolds, electronic gauges and vacuum gauges.

Others are: tubing tools such as tube cutters and pinch off pliers; safety equipment including safety glasses and gloves, and hydrocarbon service tools such as nitrogen flushing equipment, HC leak detector and HC charging equipment, etc.

There were also equipment for recycling such as portable recycling machines, external filter kits and burn outfilter accessories.

The minister told the beneficiaries that the sustainable deployment of the equipment was of major priority.

“Hence we will be carrying out robust monitoring of your activities in partnership with a private sector company, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and your trade association, the Nigerian Association of Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Practitioners.

“It is my believe that with this handover, your centres will be better equipped to conduct the training, assessment and certification of technicians on the latest trends in the refrigeration and air conditioning sector.

“I implore you to utilise the equipment effectively and abide by all the conditions outlined by the Ministry.

“This is an ongoing intervention and very soon additional training centres will be recruited into the programme,” Salaki said.

He expressed gratitude to UNDP, UNIDO and the government of Italy for their support and the successful implementation of the Nigeria HPMP project.

“I want to assure you that the huge investment that has gone into this programme will be jealously protected to ensure that the 2040 targets of  Nigeria with respect to the Montreal Protocol is achieved,” Salako added.

In her goodwill message, the UNDP Resident Representative, Mrs Elsie Attafuah, expressed excitement on behalf of the UNDP and by extension the United Nations family in Nigeria to be part of the handing over ceremony.

Attafuah noted that the development agencies facilitated the transfer of refrigeration, air conditioning training equipment and tools to two master training centres, under the hydrofluorocarbons phase out management plans and also started upgrading 16 existing training centres nationwide.

She thanked the minister for his commitment to seeing to the success of the project.

In his goodwill message, the founder of Cool Plus Ltd., one of the training centres, Mr Ade Awujoola, said the challenge before him was to give back to Nigeria what the country had given to him.

Awujoola said the climate crisis and depletion of the ozone layer was an issue that concerned everybody, every human being.

According to him, the challenge over the years is the inability to raise a dynamic, smart and skilled workforce, to be able to help in addressing the climate crisis so that the environment can be more sustainable.

He expressed gratitude to the federal ministry of environment and the development partners in the training of the needed manpower to change the narrative of air-conditioning and refrigeration in Nigeria.

A representative of one of the centres, Florence Aluko, of Government Technical College, Agidingbi, said the training would equip technicians with the skills to use ozone friendly gas in the air-conditioning and refrigeration systems. (NAN)

By Fabian Ekeruche

Afreximbank achieves outstanding financial results in 2023, amid challenging operating environment

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African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) says it has delivered exceptional financial results in 2023 amid a challenging operating environment with results well ahead of expectations.

This is contained in a statement signed by Vincent Musumba, Manager, Communications and Events, Afreximbank, on Friday.

Msumba said that largely propelled by the bank’s and its subsidiaries’ growth, the group’s results for the financial year ended Dec. 31, 2023, demonstrated a strong and resilient performance which surpassed the prior year’s results.

“It is noteworthy that this performance has been enhanced by the group’s ability to successfully execute its four strategic pillars.

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“These pillars are focused on Promoting Intra-African Trade, Facilitating Industrialisation and Export Development, Strengthening Trade Finance Leadership and Improving Financial Performance and Soundness.”

Msumba said the bank’s net interest income reached 1.4 billion dollars at the end of the 2023 financial year, compared to 910.3 million dollars in 2022.

He said the 58.67 per cent increase was driven by the growth in interest income, which in turn was driven primarily by the growth in the bank’s portfolio of loans and advances.

“ Net Interest Margin grew to 4.96 per cent compared to the previous year’s level of 3.83 per cent.

“Due to global inflationary pressures and investment in human capital to support increased business activities, the group’s total operating expenses were 304.5 million dollars.

“This was 34.93 per cent higher than what was recorded in 2022.

“The capacity expansion and rise in expenditures were envisaged in the five-year 6th Strategic Plan, which is currently under implementation until December 2026.”

Msumba said the group’s total assets grew by 20.12 per cent from 27.9 billion dollars in 2022 to 33.5 billion dollars in 2023.

According to him, this is largely on account of increases in net loans and advances to customers and cash and cash equivalents.

Masumba said the group’s shareholders’ funds, which largely mirrored the bank’s shareholders’ funds, recorded a growth of 17.55 per cent to reach 6.1 billion dollars as of December 31, 2023, compared to the FY’2022 position of 5.2 billion dollars.

“Accounting for this growth were the 546.8 million dollars retained income (which is net of appropriated 2022 dividends) and the 349.8 million dollars fresh equity.

“This fresh equity was raised during the year as shareholders supported the GCI II programme, which aims to raise 2.6 billion dollars paid-in-capital (3.9 billion dollars callable capital) by 2026.”

Msumba quoted Denys Denya, Afreximbank’s Senior Executive Vice-President, as saying
“during the 2023 financial year, the Afreximbank Group exceeded the budget and significantly surpassed its 2022 performance.

Denya said the outcome was mainly driven by the bank’s and its subsidiaries’ achievements.

“ Our focus is steadfast on fueling industrial growth, boosting trade within Africa, and promoting exports with added value, which are crucial for the continent’s prosperity.

“We will continue to maintain a cautious balance between profitability, liquidity, and safety to ensure a decent net interest margin and deliver profitable and sustainable growth and quality assets.

“We are delighted to report results well above forecasts for the financial year ended 31 December 2023, and look forward to delivering stronger financial outcomes in 2024.”

Msumba said in 2023, the bank was ranked number one in all three categories in the Bloomberg Capital Markets League Tables Report for African Capital Markets.

He said this was a testament to the bank’s leadership role in facilitating capital from within and outside the continent.

“The bank also celebrated its 30th anniversary and inaugurated its Afreximbank Caribbean Office, a pivotal step in supporting the implementation of the partnership agreement between Afreximbank and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states.

“in spite of Africa’s economic challenges and constraints, Afreximbank’s management and team demonstrated a focus on supporting member countries by offering customised programmes and facilities designed to address the continent’s distinctive needs.

“These efforts and interventions assisted member countries in meeting trade finance commitments, assessing crucial imports, boosting food security and commodity production, alleviating supply chain bottlenecks, and adjusting to challenges arising from climate change”(NAN)

By Okeoghene Akubuike

A Desperate Plea to Protect Our Children, By Julius Ogunro

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There is a joke I occasionally tell. I tell my wife that I love her as much as I love myself, but I love the children more. So, if there was a fire, I would prioritize saving the two boys before considering us. She responds that she came first before the kids and we laugh over it.

Jokes apart, that is how much I love my children and kids in general. So when I hear about the wholesale kidnapping of children by bandits and other criminals, which has become all too common, it breaks my heart. I cannot but think of my two preteen boys who have been lavished with so much love and care and what trauma parents of abducted children suffer.

The kidnapping of children in Nigeria is becoming too commonplace and normalised. It has become like one of those Nigerian maladies we are forced to live with – the frequent power cuts or the habit of starting scheduled events late.

Almost weekly, we read about mass kidnapping of children in the north. The headlines are terrifying: ‘Bandits reportedly kidnap 30 children in Katsina,’ ‘Gunmen who kidnapped 287 school children in Nigeria say they will kill them all if $622,000 ransom not paid,’ and ‘Nigeria school abductions: More pupils snatched as army hunts for missing children.’

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The frequency appears to have softened the shock and pain we ought to feel about this abomination. Gradually too, such incidents have ceased to make front page news as newspapers focus on other catastrophes, which are not in short supply in the country. We, too, are not as outraged as we were after the first incident in 2014 when Boko Haram abducted hundreds of schoolchildren in Chibok, Borno State. The outcry that followed that event caught the world’s attention, leading to the viral campaign: #BringBackOurGrls. Arguably, the controversy surrounding the Chibok kidnapping contributed to President Goodluck Jonathan’s defeat in the subsequent presidential election.

But here we are now with mass kidnapping of children occurring weekly without a whimper. The bandits attack schools almost casually, ferrying hundreds of children into forests and threatening to kill them unless a large ransom is paid. Statistics are scarce, but it is safe to estimate that over 10,000 children may have been kidnapped since Chibok. That is how bad the situation is, with the far north now at the mercy of bloodthirsty criminals who see schoolchildren as soft targets and an easy way to rake in millions. The rest of us are helpless and appear to have become inured, or consciously shut our minds, to the gravity and oddity of this heinous crime, while praying that it does not affect our children or relatives.

But, for a moment, imagine that you were a parent of an abducted child. You were at work and then received the call that your beloved son, Jide, Usman, or Tonye had been kidnapped. Tonye is only nine, the apple of your eye, who prefers Golden Morn cereal in the morning. He only eats Mummy’s specially prepared lunches and spends his evenings lounging on the family sofa, watching cartoons, or playing with other children. But in the bush with the bandits, Tonye is not special. He is one of a hundred children forced onto motorcycles and shipped to the hinterlands. The kidnappers were unprepared for the logistics of transporting and feeding so many people, leaving the children bedraggled and hungry.

Except for scraps, there is no food or clean water in the kidnappers’ lair. Tonye is starving, shivering, and fearful for his life, calling out for mummy and daddy. But there is little you can do. The kidnappers’ hideout is impossible to breach, and they demand a king’s ransom, which you will be unable to raise even if you sell everything you own. The security agencies are helpless, only issuing press statements. Your blood pressure is up. Your life suddenly seems meaningless, and you wish it were you rather than your beloved child who had been kidnapped.

That is the fate of the parents of abducted children, and it could be any of us. Even you.

The government is apparently impotent and unable to stop this menace. The Nigeria Safe School Initiative (NSSI), launched in 2014 following the kidnapping of the Chibok girls, has proven ineffective in protecting children from the bloodsucking marauders. The NSSI’s mandate is to promote safe learning environments and secure schools in Nigeria. It seeks to safeguard students, teachers, and educational facilities against threats such as violence, attacks, and other forms of insecurity.

The Safe Schools Initiative has failed. If it hadn’t, there would be no need to write this article. We must devise new ways to protect our children from the threats posed by bandits and kidnappers. This is urgent because school insecurity threatens to exacerbate the already dire situation of out-of-school children in the far north. If school-age children don’t go to school for fear of being kidnapped or coming to harm and failing to acquire market-useful skills, the chances are higher that they may grow up to be criminals and bandits who would then pose a threat to other children. Securing schools is therefore critical to avoid repeating the patterns that allowed bandits to thrive.

We must do everything we can to protect our children, especially those in school. Even if it means striking a deal with criminals. We could offer them amnesty and provide support to reintegrate them as productive members of society. We could declare an emergency, and provide a security ring around vulnerable schools. Whatever the case, we must draw a red line that no mass kidnapping of children is permitted; if this is violated, the full weight of the Nigerian state will be brought to bear on the perpetrators.

PS: Replace the name of the kidnapped child in this article with your own. Don’t say, God forbid – feel for a moment the fear and pain of parents of abducted children.

Gov. Oborevwori calls for transparent investigation

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Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta has called for a transparent investigation into the 17 soldiers killed in Okuama Community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state.

Oborevwori made the call on Friday when the Board of Enquiry constituted by the Defence Headquarters to probe the incident visited him at the Government House Annex, Warri.

The governor said that innocent citizens should not be made to suffer any further.

He said his administration was deeply pained over the sad incident and would do all to assist the board with its assignments.

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“I am very happy for this meeting taking place here today in Warri. Setting up this board of enquiry is a good one.

“Most people who spoke about the issue did so out of ignorance because they lacked the true knowledge of what happened.

“In Delta, there are two bodies we do not play with – the Advisory and Peace Building Council and the Peace Building and Conflict Resolution.

“Both bodies are doing a lot to ensure enduring peace in the state.

“I told the Secretary to the State Government to invite the Okuama/Okoloba people and made it mandatory for the Chairmen of Ughelli South and Bomadi Local Government Councils to be in attendance.

“The members of the State House of Assembly representing the constituencies and the President- Generals of the communities were also to be in attendance,” he said.

Oborevwori said the meeting was held on Feb. 7, adding that the two warring communities of Okoloba and Okuama therein signed a peace accord.

“So, we were not expecting anything negative when the military went there for a peace mission. In Delta, we do not encourage crisis.

“We want to assure you that whichever information you want, we will give it to you and we will also come up with our position paper to submit to you people before you leave.

“That will guide you on the role that we have played as a state because if we do not come with this position paper, you will not know the role that the state has played,” he said.

Earlier, Chairman of the Board of Enquiry, AVM David Ajayi, said the board was in the state to investigate the unfortunate incident that happened at Okuama.

“We are here on a fact-finding mission and not to apportion blame. We are here to gather facts from security agencies, community leaders, and community dwellers.

“This report will also help to ensure healthy communication that will enhance civil-military relations and ensure that economic activities thrive again in the affected communities,” he said.

Ajayi, however, called on the governor to assist the board with its assignment by ensuring that relevant stakeholders were invited to give accounts of what led to the crisis. (NAN)

By Edeki Igafe

Tinubu lauds Obazee as CBN Investigator concludes job

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President Bola Tinubu has lauded Mr Jim Obazee for his services as the Special Investigator of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other related entities.

The President commended Obazee, a former Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC), for successfully concluding his assignment

In a statement by Presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale on Friday in Abuja, Tinubu commended Obazee for the dedication and professionalism he exercised “in handling the complexities of this critical national assignment”.

The President said the investigations had been formally closed and all appropriate law enforcement and regulatory agencies were already conducting follow-up actions.

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He added that with the submission of a final comprehensive report and the winding up of all apparatus used during the scope of the task the assignment terminated on March 31.

The President thanked Obazee for answering the call to duty and wished him success in his future endeavours.

IS/ROT

By Ismail Abdulaziz

Kalu commends Tinubu for signing Students’ Loans Bill into law

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Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for giving expeditious assent to the Students’ Loans (Access To Higher Education) (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2024.

The repealed Student Loan Act, 2023, had some defects which hinged on the governance and management, purpose of the loans, eligibility criteria for applicants, method of application, repayment provisions, and recovery of the loans.

Ultimately, the amended act which President Tinubu signed into law on Wednesday, April 3, 2024 seeks to guarantee sustainable higher education and functional skill development for all Nigerian students and youths.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Levinus Nwabughiogu, Kalu applauded the President for doing the needful.

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He said that the piece of legislation stems from a conscious effort of the national assembly to expand
access to higher education having recognized that “In Nigeria, we are acutely aware of the challenges that young people face regarding access to quality education”.

The Deputy Speaker noted that the act now serves as a beacon of hope for countless young Nigerians who hitherto had limited or no access to the university education because of their economic circumstances.

Kalu said that the law will definitely open doors to new possibilities
and also empower individuals to contribute meaningfully to our nation’s development.

The Deputy Speaker who also represents Bende federal constituency of Abia State said that by signing the bill in law, both President Tinubu and the National Assembly have collectively prioritized inclusivity and equity in higher education to unleash the full potential of the youth and cultivate a generation of leaders equipped to address the multifaceted challenges facing the country.

Emphasizing that the law touches on the yearnings of a teeming Nigerian youth for education, Kalu commended the President for incorporating it into the Renewed Hope agenda of his administration.

The Deputy Speaker therefore charged the students and the youth to take advantage of the law and pursue their university education to help them secure a brighter future and also contribute to the development of the Nigerian society.

By Chimezie Godfrey

Police impound 85 motorcycles in Lagos

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The  Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Police Command in Lagos, said it had  impounded 85 motorcycles in continuation of  its clamp down on motorcycles  plying prohibited routes in the state.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed this in a post he shared on his X handle, @benHundeyin, on Friday.

He said that RRS, in collaboration with Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), seized 85 motorcycles in different areas of the state on Thursday.

“RRS supported by their counterparts from LAMATA Enforcement Team carried out the operation yesterday.

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“The areas visited by the team include: Ojodu Berger, Aguda (Ikeja), Iju Road, Agege, Iyana Ipaja Bridge, Abule Egba and Ogba.

“The operation was led by RRS Commander, CSP. Olayinka Egbeyemi.

“In a similar operation two weeks ago, the team led by Egbeyemi impounded 257 motorcycles, ” he  said.

According to him, the Lagos Commissioner of Police, CP Adegoke Fayoade, said the command would continue to deal with individuals who flout traffic laws in the state.

“Fayoade has assured that the exercise will be sustained until there is compliance with Lagos State.

“He said that the command will not fold its arms and allow recalcitrant individuals to flout state’s traffic law without consequences, ” he said. (NAN)

By Deborah Akpede

LASG unveils plan for model city

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The Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development said strategies to develop Alimosho, a densely populated area in Lagos, into a sustainable and functional city, had been identified.

The Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Mr Mukaila Sanusi, said this in a statement on Friday in Lagos.

Sanusi quoted the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Oluyinka Olumide, as saying this at the final stakeholders meeting on the review of Alimosho Model City Plan, held on Thursday in Lagos.

Olumide said that the plan included strategies like higher density housing, low-cost housing options, improved public transportation, and designated focus areas for development.

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He said that the government was committed to implementing the plan and ensuring different agencies worked together to achieve its goals.

“”Several remarkable efforts in directing the growth pattern of our bourgeoning Lagosthrough plan preparation,execution and implementation have evoked the continuous attention of Government, which now metamorphosed into the preparation of 13 different Master and Model City Plans, 9 Action Area Plans and 9 Development Guide Plans to revitalise the State in both spatial and sectoral aspects.’’

The Commissioner said that the Lagos State government restructured the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development to improve the development of Lagos.

This restructuring, he said, aimed to create a more efficient system for achieving a livable, organised and sustainable built environment in the state.

He expressed his enthusiasm about the progress being made on developing urban plans for the state.

The commissioner said that the rapid progress suggested that the Lagos State government was actively working on creating blueprints for various parts of the city.

These plans, he noted, should guide future development in a way that benefits residents.

Sanusi also said that a group of consultants presented the revised plan, along with a briefing from a government official.

He noted that the plan included strategies for better housing options, which involved Higher Densification, Regeneration, Low-cost Housing Schemes and Enhanced Public Transportation.

He mentioned that 13 specific zones including Ipaja, Amikanle, Egbeda and Igando would serve as focus areas of specific planning policies.

Sanusi also noted that the Permanent Secretary, Office of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Oluwole Sotire,   explained the purpose and duration of the Plan.

Sotire said that the 20- year plan( was aimed at developing strategies that would transform Alimosho Local Government Area into a model city of choice.

He said that stakeholders’ contributions were necessary to make the process truly participatory, and the outcome people- oriented.

“Residents are the beneficiaries of the many advantages of the plan, including the creation of employment and wealth, as well as the creation of an inclusive, equitable, effective, efficient and environment-friendly place to live, work and prosper,” Sotire said.

The Permanent Secretary, Office of Urban Development, Mr Lekan Shodeinde, said that his office would work with the office of Physical Planning to ensure strict implementation of the plan.

The General Manager, Lagos State Planning and Environmental Monitoring Authority (LASPEMA), Mr Daisi Oso; Member, House of Representatives, Alimosho Federal Constituency, Rep. Ganiyu Ayuba, among others, were listed as also being at the event.(NAN)

By Lydia Ngwakwe

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