By Emma Okonji
Lagos State government has reiterated its commitment to bridging the exiting digital divide in the state by leveraging technologies to drive innovations that will assist the state in achieving its mission to build the Lagos Smart City that will digitally empower Lagosians.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr. Hakeem Popoola Fahm, who gave the assurance in Lagos during the ministerial media briefing to mark the second year anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration recently, said the state government would continue to invest in projects and technology in order to provide digital skills for the people of Lagos.
To achieve the mission, Fahm said the state was deploying metro-fibre cable across Lagos to deepen broadband connectivity in the state so as to give access to distant learning, telemedicine, e-commerce, and internet connectivity in schools and hospitals.
According to him, “the state has concluded the implementation of the first phase rollout of 3,000 km of fibre metro network connection in year 2020 and has commenced the second phase rollout of additional 3,000km of fibre metro network connection, which is expected to be concluded by the end of 2021.”
He said the metro fibre network would support the comprehensive Smart City programme of the stare that seeks to provide a 24-hour driven economy.
Fahm said the implementation of Lagos State Smart City Project would enable governance, connectivity and environmental security, adding that the use of technology will make reporting of security incidents easy to reach, and promote access to major stakeholders in the government.
The commissioner reiterated that the project would also incorporate smart technologies into transport infrastructure surveillance and security, healthcare services, education, government services and make Lagos to be technological developed through the provision of affordable internet access, which would close the digital gap and the gap between the people and the government.
“We plan to connect the fibre optic cables to all our public schools and institutions of learning, health centres, and all government offices and parastatals, and the state government is working tirelessly to increase public access to the internet and promote digital literacy,” Fahm said.
He further said upon completion, the project would advance Lagos State economy by becoming a 24 hour driven commercial centre, which would allow companies to operate in a safe, secure and smart environment that would create more jobs and increase GDP of the State.
The commissioner described the Lagos Smart-City project as a transformation being achieved through technology in order to enhance the ease doing business, adding that it involves stationing of security cameras around the state.
Speaking on the installation of CCTV Cameras, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Innovation and Technology, Mr. Tunbosun Alake, said “Safeguarding Lagos has gone beyond the ordinary. We have built new data rooms, install more cameras and effectively deploy technology in our operations, especially as regards to security and traffic management.”
Alake said the state sponsored 12 startups in the last one year on different innovative ideas. According to him, “Startup Lagos is building the largest directory of the largest ecosystem in the sub-Saharan Africa and offering retail and institutional investors, the opportunities of tapping into the vast potential of early-stage tech driven startup initiatives to blossom into regional and continental scale solutions to Africa’s diverse challenges.”
He explained how the state sponsored participation at the Y2021 774 Young Nigerian Scientist Presidential Award among secondary school students, tagged 774-YONSPA.
“This is to boost interest of students in Science and Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and to encourage and involved young children in bringing up projects and programmes that can resolve challenges in the state, such as Infrastructure, Environment, Waste Management, among others,” Alake said.
