Private sector seeks favourable policies as Lagos plans 30-year devt

Plan is about future, gov assures
Ahead of this year’s Lagos Economic Summit, otherwise known as Ehingbeti 2022, operators in the private sector, yesterday, charged the state government to effectively address policies and programmes that have the potential to cripple businesses.

They said as the state plans to unveil a 30-year development plan, favourable policies and programmes should be focused on.

President of Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Taiwo Adeniyi, who gave the charge at a public-private partnership pre-Ehingbeti stakeholders engagement, said since the private sector creates at least nine out of every 10 jobs globally and contributes to national Gross Domestic Product (GDP), policies and programmes that have the potential to stifle the growth of the private sector could negate the rapid achievement of the plan.

He said it would be helpful if agencies of the state understood the importance of the private sector to the development of the state.

According to him, the state government scorecard should be measured by how many businesses it promoted and assisted to grow, rather than how many businesses it penalised or the income it generated.

Meanwhile, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the reason for the development plan was about the future of the citizens and how they would be remembered when out of government.

He said the plan was to achieve an economy driven by technology, human-centric city and resilience that have the capacity to speak to the future needs of the citizens.

The governor, who affirmed that the state was in the position to achieving its target, said that engagement with various stakeholders was to collectively resolve challenges in the state.

Chairman, Lagos Economic Summit Group, Samuel Egube, who is also the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, said Ehingbeti summit was meant to accelerate economic growth and development of the state.