Lagos to address mega city challenges as member of 100 resilient cities network

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has welcomed the entrance of the state into the 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) Network, saying the recognition will help the state address the challenges of urban planning, transport gridlock, environment and modern infrastructure.

The Rockefeller Foundation, pioneers of the 100 Resilient Cities Challenge, yesterday announced Lagos as the winner of the 100 Resilient Cities Challenge, which would afford the state gain access to tools, funding, technical expertise and other resources to build resilience to the challenges of the 21st century.

Lagos was part of the final group of cities selected in a highly competitive global grant process, which would enable the state appoint a Chief Resilience Officer to lead local efforts in building a comprehensive resilience strategy.

Governor Ambode in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Habib Aruna, said, “Lagos’s selection to join the 100 Resilient Network is not only a significant honour but also will give us the tools to support a better Lagos today, tomorrow, and for future generations to come. Our application recognized our commitment to urban renewal, resolution of traffic gridlock, infrastructural deficit and coastal erosion.

On his part, President of 100RC, Mr. Michael Berkowitz, said they were proud to welcome Lagos to the network.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State House of Assembly has begun moves to establish a Local Government Economic Planning and Development Board as part of measures aimed at giving more autonomy to the third tier of government in the state and also be in a position to independently formulate their own economic policies as well as the best ways to develop their areas.

Chairman of the House Committee on Budget and Economic Planning, Rotimi Olowo who disclosed this in an interview with journalists at the Assembly complex said towards this, a bill for the establishment of the board has scaled the second reading in the House and has passed the public hearing stage, stressing that the time had come for council chairmen to stop going cap-in-hand looking for money.

Also, plans have been concluded by the Lagos State House of Assembly to promote the speaking and compulsory teaching of Yoruba Language in all schools in the Southwest region of the country.

In addition, the move is also aimed at encouraging all the legislative houses in the states that made up the region to compulsorily conduct some of their plenaries in Yoruba Language.

Towards this a Yoruba Summit has been scheduled for Lagos next week Thursday June 2, 2016, where stakeholders in the language and the region’s political leaders, including the governors would participate in a series of lectures, expected to lead to an agreement on how to achieve the set goal.

In a related development, a Non-Governmental organization, Centre for International Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS), has commended Governor Akinwunmi Ambode as the best performing governor in office in the last one year.

While it puts the performance of the state at 74 per cent, Edo came second with 70 per cent, Cross Rivers with 68 per cent, stressing that Imo is the only place where tuition fees are free from the primary level to the tertiary institution.