Lagos to benefit from £38m UK mobile development programme
Picture Caption: L-R: British Deputy High Commissioner, Harratt Thompson; UK Minister of State for Africa, Foreign Commonwealth Office and Minister of State for Department of International Development, Rt. Hon. Harrieth Baldwin; Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat and Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mrs. Folashade Jaji during a courtesy visit to the Deputy Governor at the Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, on Tuesday, July 16, 2019.
Owing to its socio-economic and political significance as the commercial nerve centre of the country and sixth largest economy in Africa, Lagos State Government is to benefit from the United Kingdom thirty-eight million pounds extended programme on mobile for development in Nigeria.
This was disclosed today by the United Kingdom Minister of State for Africa at the Foreign Commonwealth Office who also doubles as Minister of State for Department for International Development, Harriett Baldwin during a courtesy visit to the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat in his Alausa Office.
According to the Minister, the Mobile for development programme is to enable a lot of people access financial services through their mobile phones and buy things like solar system for their homes and businesses.
She added that owing to the significant impact of the programme on the people, the UK government is extending the programme to further affect positively the lives of other twenty-seven million people around the world including many in Lagos noting that the programme was exactly designed to absolutely impact the grassroots.
In addition, she said, the programme would enable women in the market to use the financial services in investing in solar fridges, solar freezers and something that will really help them in their homes in areas where they do not have access to reliable electricity.
It will also help everyone with the ambition to ensure that they are able to buy health insurance and mobile financial services in the future, emphasizing that Lagos is very often at the cutting edge of some of this investment in technology which is why the UK Government is basing her science and technology centre in Lagos.
Describing Lagos as amazing and vibrant city, Baldwin noted that the UK government is willing to learn from some of the state’s innovation and share some of theirs.
Responding, the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat assured the United kingdom team that Lagos State Government is set to collaborate with their government in any area that will be of immense benefit to the good people of the state.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant, office of the Deputy Governor, Tunde Alao, quoted the Deputy Governor emphasizing that the programme is an extension, Dr. Hamzat stated that the state government will embark on sensitizing her citizens to understand the benefits of the programme and take advantage of it.
He added: “With the population advantage of Lagos, any developmental programme embarked upon would be of great benefits to the residents by empowering them. This would also be of imminence benefits to every Nigerian and foreigners based in the state’’, said Hamzat who expressed gratitude to the visiting team.
