The Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, yesterday said that his administration was committed to transforming Lagos to a befitting megacity status.
"It is in our heart what tomorrow will look like and we are steadily working towards it," he said in his speech titled: "Building infrastructure for a megacity vision and practice,Learning from Singapore,"
He explained that Lagos is not a megacity because of anybody's fantasy but by virtue of its potential and population.
Mr. Fashola spoke at the two-day Lagos Infrastructure Forum held at the Eko Hotels, Victoria Island. The forum was organised by the London-based Commonwealth Business Council, an institution of the Commonwealth of Nations which seeks to, according to a statement on its website, provide a bridge between the private sector and governments, between emerging markets and developed markets and between small businesses and international private sector.
Louis Tay, the senior vice president of Surbana International Consultants Pte Ltd, presented a paper titled: "Affordable Housing for a Nation - The Singapore Experience," where he presented the country's model of providing affordable housing as a mould Lagos could follow because they both share similar geographical dispensations.
"Political stamina is the key to transformation," he said. "And affordable housing is very important [to achieving this]. Without a roof [on people's head], you won't have the political stability to push your policies. Politics is housing and housing is politics."
He mentioned government support, new town development, home ownership scheme, and estate management as the four pillars of Singapore's success.
"Legislation is key to useful land use. The land is better in the hand of government than the private sector because the government thinks of affordable housing for the people while the private sector wants to maximise profit," he said.
He said the Home ownership scheme will help to "redistribute the country's wealth." He explained that there will always be public unrest if effort is not made to redistribute country's wealth through effective use of tax and mortgages.
Lastly, Mr. Tay emphasised the importance of transparency in implementing government's policies because it gives the public a sense of belonging. "Anybody can walk into government office at any time and have access to planning information," he said.
While reacting to questions, Mr. Fashola said his interest in Singapore's model is because "it is something that happened in my time and I can relate with it. So, if it has been done there by people who are not from Mars, then it could also be done here also by people who are not from Mars."
He disclosed that, to fund housing in the state through mortgages, the State government was looking at tapping into the pension fund scheme, the equivalent of Singapore's Central Provident Fund which has enabled many Singaporean to own a home. "It is impossible to provide free housing for people because there is no free cement and iron," he said.
The forum also featured discussions and investment opportunities that exist in Lagos in the following areas: Intermodal passenger transport, Affordable housing, Hospital management & operations, Lekki airport, Waste management, Power solutions, Toll roads & bridges, Lekki free trade zone, and Potable water.
The forum, which ends tomorrow with site visits and one-to-one meetings between companies, drew participants from neighbouring African countries, Asian and Western countries.
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