By Adewale Kupoluyi
The commissioning of the Lekki Deep Sea Port, Lagos Rice Mill at Imota, the 18.75km Eleko-Epe rigid pavement six-lane expressway, the first phase of the Blue Light Rail from Mile 2 to Marina, and the John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History is a key factor in driving development in Lagos State.
With infrastructure remaining a critical driver of growth and development, the Lekki Deep Sea Port, Nigeria’s largest seaport with a draught of 16.5m, is expected to support trade and commerce in Nigeria and the entire West African region.
The 32-metric tonnes per hour Lagos Rice Mill at Imota-Ikorodu was also launched to produce rice for Lagos residents and possibly for export.
The intent to ease transportation in Lagos had led to the conceptualisation and eventual launch of the Lagos Blue Line Rail project, which is part of fulfilling the request for a multi-modal transport system in Lagos to ease traffic jams being experienced by Lagos residents.
To maximise the benefits of these infrastructure and facilities, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) had stressed the need for connecting rail network that supports the movement of goods and persons to fully facilitate trade and commerce within the state and across the West African borders.
With this connection, Eko Rice can easily move into the West African market to explore the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). With access to the African market, farmers in Lagos are encouraged to commit more investments into rice production, create more jobs, and provide more rice to beat the rising price of the product.
The Director-General of LCCI, Dr. Chinyere Almona has, however, lauded the Lagos State Government for its efforts at providing infrastructure for the state, which positively impact the economy, grow the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the state and that of Nigeria.
“We urge finance development institutions to support rice farmers in Lagos to scale up their production capacity to meet local demands. LCCI encourages other state governments to provide the needed infrastructure to spur economic activities and growth in their states. We also call on the Federal Government to be sensitive to the massive private investments in various states and be more intentional in creating a stable policy environment. Policy summersault has remained one of the most damaging factors to investors’ confidence”, Dr. Almona stressed further.
