The forthcoming Ehingbeti Summit scheduled to hold on October 11 and 12, this year, in Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos is expected to seek ways to provide employment opportunities for the unemployed youths in the state and country.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Audit, who also doubles as the Chairman, Marketing Committee, Mr. Abayomi Oluyomi, stated this at a pre-event stakeholders’ engagement at the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), formerly known as Lagos State Polytechnic to sensitise students on the summit.
According to him, other areas that would be focused upon include transport management to facilitate movement of people and goods, infrastructure development and many more.
“We believe that when we fix the infrastructure and security what comes next is that economic activities will begin to boom and as economic activities are booming, there will be job opportunities for everybody,” he said.
He, however, called on the students to play their part as responsible individuals to the economic development of the state.
“This activation basically is just to carry people along. So, a landmark event is coming and we are going to be launching a 30-year development plan. We have been going to the markets. We have been going to schools. We have been going to different places just to let people be aware of what is coming up because engagement is key to letting people know what is coming and what we are planning to achieve with the summit,” he said.
He added that the summit would look at relevant resolutions that have not been implemented, develop new ones, saying that the state has several thematic areas such as education, health, technology, finance, funding, infrastructure and youth development.
“Despite what people say about Lagos, it has advanced. If you look at where Lagos was coming from to now, you will see that the state has made lots of tremendous progress,” he added.
He also said Lagos is the fifth largest city in Africa, pointing out that the state plans be the first on the continent.
“Something that has never happened in Lagos before is about to happen. The state is launching the first and second rail lines before the end of this year. These are landmark significant achievements in Lagos State,” he said.
Also speaking on the sidelines of the stakeholders’ engagement, the Dean, College of Applied Social Sciences, LASUSTECH, Mrs. Adeola Banjo, representing the Acting Vice Chancellor, LASUSTECH, Dr. Oluremi Olaleye, said the summit would improve the state economy, adding that roads, health facilities, security would be improved upon.
“Lagos will experience innovation because the summit is a combination of the private and public sectors to seek ways on how to improve the state.
She commended the state for performing wonderfully, stressing that lots of road have been repaired and completed, adding that health facilities have been upgraded to world-class standards.
“The state is also improving the educational sector and this is why you can see that three institutions have been transited into universities,” she said.
The Speaker, Student Union Government (SUG), Asegbe Elijah, urged the government to implement the resolutions from the past summits, stating his assurance on the present administration to achieve the set targets.
“On the scale of 1 to 10, I will rate Lagos 8 over 10 so far because when Lagos lead, others follow,” he averred.