Amidst the economic recession and dwindling financial resources occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lagos state government has, Tuesday, declared its readiness to partner the organised private sector for sustainable road infrastructure in the state.
The Special Adviser to the governor on Works and Infrastructure, Engineer Aramide Adeyoye said this while addressing members of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), who paid her a courtesy visit on Tuesday.
According to Adeyoye, the state government is encouraging private sector collaboration on infrastructure development due to inadequate financial resources to achieve the government’s lofty vision for creating new roads and upgrading existing facilities.
She maintained that the state is deliberately promoting its performance index on the Ease of Doing Business matrix, to ensure a win-win situation for private sector partners of the state government.
Adeyoye further applauded Zenith and Access banks for their collaboration with the government towards the improvement of public infrastructure, saying that the partnership created access to additional funding for infrastructure growth and renewal.
She urged the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) to encourage its members to partner the government, pointing out that there are concessions such as tax holidays, branding and advertisement concessions attached to such partnerships.
In his words, the PS, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Olujimi Hotonu noted that the government cannot provide the entire infrastructure required across Lagos all alone, inviting companies to support the Public Infrastructure Improvement Programme of the present administration.
The General Manager, Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory (LSMTL) Dr. Abiodun Afolabi, reiterated the Agency’s ability to carry out various quality assurance tests and urged MAN to insist on adherence to quality standards in all areas of its members’ operations.
