Ambode promises livable communities in Lagos

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Thursday expressed his administration’s commitment to make communities comfortable and livable for all.
The governor made this known at a seminar with community stakeholders, themed: “City We Need,” to deliberate on the Urban Thinkers Campus Model, an initiative of the United Nations.
Ambode said: “Our approach to evolving the city we need or a liveable city is to ensure inclusive growth through equal spread of social and economic infrastructure to the different parts of the state.
“The idea is to make it possible for people to live,work and recreate within their communities without feeling left behind as a result of unequal distribution of social amenities.”
Ambode, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Tunji Bello, cited ongoing reforms in the transportation sector as one of the efforts toward the realisation of the urban regeneration and development plan.
The governor said that when the projects were fully implemented, commuting would be much easier for Lagosians.
He said: “When fully implemented, distance between place of work and place of residence will no longer be a factor as it is in modern city states with a well-developed and organised transport infrastructure.”
Earlier, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Wasiu Anifowoshe, called on the stakeholders to deliberate and suggest workable solutions to resolve the challenges.
Anifowoshe said Urban Thinkers Campus was expected to broaden and strengthen the engagement of urban stakeholders on implementation of new urban agenda.
He said that the agenda could be implemented by defining priorities, promoting comprehensive and integrated public transport system, ensuring individual organisation commitment, approving the mode of implementation and protecting sensitive environmental areas.
Lagos State is one of the 74 cities chosen as Urban Thinkers Campuses worldwide by the UN-Habitat’s World Urban campaign which was inaugurated in 2014.