Lagos to collaborate with UN on Sustainable Development Goals
Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, on Thursday April 13, 2017 said his administration would collaborate with necessary organisations such as the United Nations to scale up the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Ambode stated this at the Lagos House Ikeja, while receiving the United Nations Resident/ Humanitarian Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Nigeria, Mr. Edward Kallon.
The governor said his plan for the state is to emerge as the third largest economy within the next three to five years.
Earlier, the UNDP boss shared with Ambode that through the Sustainable Development Goals, Lagos can build on progress made, address non-income inequalities.
Kallon also decorated governor Ambode with the UN lapel.
Ambode who also received delegation from the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) led by its President, Dr Frank Udemba Jacobs, said his administration remains committed to bridging the daily deficit of potable water in the State without inflicting tax burden on the people, just as he revealed that huge investments have been made in the sector in the last 23 months.
He said the State requires about 720million gallons of water per day, but currently has capacity to produce 210million leaving a deficit of about 500 million gallons.
He noted that the his administration since assumption of office had intensified investments in the water sector especially by putting measures in place to revamp the 48 Mini Water Works across the State to produce at hundred per cent, while works on the Adiyan Major Water Works had reached advanced stage.
The Governor said ever since coming on board, conscious efforts have been made towards improving on the business environment by investing in critical sectors such as infrastructure, security, traffic management, among others, saying that investment in the water sector too had been huge.
He said: “Just like every other infrastructure that we are trying to create in the city, water is one of them and obviously it is clear that we have a deficit. The city actually needs a minimum of 720million gallons of water per day and right now, there is a shortfall of almost about 500million and so our investment in water sector is continuous and very deep.
“The truth is that despite being surrounded by water, the infrastructure that drives the water to become a drinkable item is huge and we do not want to tax people to death and at the same time within the limited resources in a recession, we are faced with that challenge of wanting to redistribute the limited resources in the various sectors and sometimes the gap is yet to be filled in that sector.
“I do recognize the fact that we need to be on top of our game in terms of providing water and I also recognize the fact that we are not yet in a place where we ought to be but again, we must understand that within that shortcoming, government tries as much as possible to find a way to create laws or create an enabling environment to allow water to be available everywhere,” Ambode said.
