The rapid transformation
of the city of Lagos in the last five years got world attention at the weekend
as two renowned international bodies, Citigroup and Urban Land Institute,
ranked her as one of two most innovative cities in Africa. The other city is
Cape Town in South Africa.
Citigroup and Urban Land
Institute which assess cities worldwide in terms of sustainability and
livability, ranked Lagos and Cape Town the most innovative cities in Africa in
the list of the world’s 25 most innovative cities.
According to the
ranking, Lagos got the nod of the international bodies for its population,
rapid progress and potential as well as positive economic climate and potential
for investors while Cape Town was ranked for its green space and massive investment
in public transportation, technological research and the environment.
In terms of Economic
potential, Lagos Port was ranked for accounting for 80 percent of Nigeria’s
seaport activity while the City itself accounts for about one quarter of the nation’s
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) with USD 33 billion and the population in excess
of 18 million making it the most populous city on the list of 25.
Lagos, according to the
ranking, was also included in recognition of the innovative and
transformational leadership of the head of Government of the City of Lagos, Mr.
Babatunde Fashola (SAN) who, according to the international ranking
bodies,“spearheaded the introduction of the Innovative Advisory Council which
deals primarily with Science and Technology”
“Upon the establishment
of the Council, Governor Fashola reportedly stated: ‘Cities that fail to
harness the power of innovation will eventually become the customers of those
that do’”, Citigroup and the Urban Land Institute said.
A statement from Urban
Land Institute which said the shortlisted cities “provide new avenues which
reflect remarkable, forward-thinking decisions on the part of municipal
leadership”, also described Lagos as one of the “Big S” cities in Africa and
predicted that it may soon overtake Johannesburg as the Continent’s business
hub
Coming barely five years
after the commencement of massive infrastructural renewal programme of the
Babatunde Fashola administration, the recent rating has confirmed the
established fact that the City of Lagos is gradually realizing its dream of
becoming Africa’s model mega-city.
Taking a cursory look at
the meticulous implementation of the various developmental programmes of the
present administration, from the infrastructure renewal programme through the
integrated transport system to the beautification and greening of the city, it
is little surprise that the City of Lagos should catch the attention of the
world rating body.
Cape Town was rated due
to their green space ration of 290 square metre per person as against the world
index average of 74 sqm per person as well as its massive investment in public
transport infrastructure (in the shape of the Integrated Rapid Transport
System), a project which is estimated to cost nearly USD 6 billion by the time
it is completed.
The city is also
favoured by the rating international bodies as a result of the use of
technology and research in operations in its harbour as well as concern for the
environment and in the way they use land.
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