Lagos State Government has said the planned installation of 2,000 solar lamps in the state is a key strategy to address the problems of power outages, particularly averting the huge cost spent on the purchase of disease and petrol as the source of power supply.
Lagos State Commissioner for Information & Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotosho who made this known in Lagos on Friday, disclosed that the state has conducted research about the plan and findings show that installing solar lamps in the state will work.
He spoke during the Joint Citizens’ Engagement Forum, which was organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Information & Strategy which aims to facilitate dialogue and collaboration between the government and citizens, fostering a more inclusive and participatory governance process.
In addition, the forum highlighted the achievements of the Lagos government under the administration of Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat.
Speaking on the plan, Omotosho said the solar lamps will satisfy Lagosiansm adding that “The advantage is that we shall have clean energy. We will no longer be running generators as we used to do because it is not cheaper to maintain.”
According to Omotosho, the most exciting thing in Lagos in 2024, is the coming on board of the Red Line Rail, the mass transit project designed to ease the movement of people across key locations in Lagos. It officially went into operation on October 15, 2024, offering efficient and reliable train services to the public.
Apart from that, he said the state has also made giant strides in water transportation; in May 2024, it commissioned 15 boats, good ferries.
Furthermore, Omotosho said: “Very soon, we will be commissioning about 10 to make up to 25. So in Lagos, we will be able to bring together three modes of transportation: water, rail and road transportation.”
Responding to what the state is doing to address the traffic situation in the state, Omotosho said although the state has a robust plan to ease vehicle traffic, he noted that the human element sabotages the government plans by deliberately digging to create potholes in the road, removing lighting facilities, road railings and choose to block easy traffic flow rather than use lay-by, is sometimes difficult to deal with.
Omotosho stated: “If the government puts a plan in place, you have to consider the fact that the human element is something that is very difficult to deal with.
“But there are times when visitors, or people who just want to sabotage the system, will behave that way. And part of such people are people who go up to buildings to remove railings, remove slabs, dig holes on roads so that there could be traffic there.”
However, he urged Lagosians to be of good behaviour and protect facilities installed by the government.
He urged private and commercial drivers to learn to use the lay-bys constructed by the government so as to ease the traffic situation in the state.
On the long wait for the BRT buses, the commissioner for information & Strategy said since the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu mounted the saddle, he has added over a thousand new buses to the fleet. “We’ve seen Largride, we did over 500 cars, and so many other things like that.”
Largride is a ride-hailing taxi service in Lagos, which allows users to book rides and share the cost with other commuters.
According to Omotosho, it is to make the transport system in the state better that made the Lagos Government invite the private sector to invest in that sector.
