- Promises to transform Yaba to major technology hub
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has unveiled plans to transform the popular Ladipo market at Oshodi, an outskirt of Ikeja, the state capital, into ultra-modern market for the vehicle spare parts dealers in the market. Arriving Ladipo during his working tour across the state, the governor assured that a multi-layer car park will be constructed to address the traffic chaos in the market to ease parking of vehicles.
The Governor also revealed that from the month of February, his administration will commence construction of Alhaji Akinwunmi Street and Ladipo Street, as well as Obagun Avenue, off Fatai Atere Road to improve transportation infrastructures for citizens in the area.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Habib Aruna, in a statement, disclosed that Ambode was welcomed at Ladipo Market by a tumultuous crowd; narrating that hundreds of traders trooped out to receive the governor amidst pump and pageantry,
Governor Ambode, however, solicited the cooperation of the traders and residents of the area to make the project a success in the interest of all. He promised that government would organize a stakeholders’ meeting to discuss modalities for the construction.
Moreover, Governor Ambode also revealed that plans are afoot to transform the Sabo Industrial Estate in Yaba area of the State to a technology hub and another Silicon Valley where new set of entrepreneurs and innovators will be raised to address the challenges confronting the country in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector.
Silicon Valley, which is in San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States, is home to many of the world’s largest high-tech corporations and thousands of startup companies.
Ambode, speaking during an extensive inspection tour across the State, said government will actualize the plan of transforming Sabo to the new hub for technology in 2017 and assist the already established technology incubators in the area to achieve their full potentials.
Habib Aruna, CPS, highlighted that some of the technology outfits visited in the area by the Governor included Ardela, IDEA and CC Hub, among others.
The Governor, who was joined on the inspection by top government functionaries and former Minister of Communications and Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, said government was desirous of assisting entrepreneurs in the ICT sector to become good startups, adding that his administration would explore all the available initiatives in that regard.
He said to start with, entrepreneurs in the sector would be allowed to access the N25 billion Employment Trust Fund (ETF), which is an initiative of his administration, to grow their businesses, as well as other interventions from the State’s Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment.
He said: “I decided to come here just for me to feel the state of things and to learn about your challenges. Our government is seriously committed to assisting entrepreneurs like the ones here to be able to be good startups.”