The Lagos State Planning and Environmental Monitoring Authority has commenced the mapping of informal business sectors on setbacks and other incidental open spaces in the state with the use of drones.
A statement from the agency said the General Manager of LASPEMA, Daisi Oso, led the technical crew for the aerial capture of the setbacks at Abule-Egba to Ojokoro Housing Estate and parts of Berkeley Road, off the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
Oso said there was a need for the informal business sectors in Lagos to be more organised with the establishment of comprehensive data on their activities.
He pledged that the agency would require more equipment such as the Global Positioning System and drones with digital cameras for capturing the damage done to all the setbacks occupied by the people of the informal sector, comprising automobile sellers, car wash operators, iron rod sellers and block molding firms, among others.
According to him, images captured with the drone will be downloaded and converted to measurable metrics for better site evaluation, beautification and improvement of the aesthetics of the Lagos urban space.
Oso charged town planners and engineers attached to LASPEMA to speed up their work regarding the mapping out all the informal business sectors.
He said the resultant effect of a robust interpretation of data collected would enhance the necessary interface with other sectors of the economy or government institutions, one of which was linking the informal sector with primary health centres close to their areas of operations.
The GM engaged representatives of some informal business owners along Enitan Street in the axis, inviting them to LASPEMA’s office for further briefing on the effect of their occupation and the need to regularise their activities with the agency.
