The Lagos N20 billion for health and education

The Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, deserves commendation for appropriate prioritisation as exemplified by his announcement the other day that the state government had allocated N20 billion (that is N10 billion apiece) to addressing major issues affecting the health and education sectors in the state.

For the health sector, he further confirmed that his government had started a comprehensive rehabilitation and upgrading of hospital facilities across the state and had committed to procuring modern hospital equipment, building the capacity of the existing medical personnel, recruiting and training medical professionals in areas of rare specialisation and special needs. N10 billion had been allocated to facilitate the realisation of all the intendments, latest December 2016.

In the area of education where N10 billion had also been allocated, the intentions of the government are to: give a face-lift to primary and secondary schools; upgrade infrastructure in the schools; recruit 1000 secondary school teachers in the next two weeks (1,300 had been recruited for primary schools); and establish a technical and vocational school in Badagry which the ground-breaking ceremony would be held in September 2016.

Given the poor state of the health and education sectors across the country, it is commendable that Ambode has taken these pragmatic steps towards improving the situation. Proper deployment of the huge amount of N20 billion in health and education will be an investment with great potentials for positive multiplier effects. It is remarkable that the governor was not only specific about the things the money would be invested in but also some target dates when implementation would commence and programmes accomplished. That shows that serious thoughts had been devoted not just to making the pronouncements but also towards their ultimate realisation. Such indications of programme commencement and completion time-frames provide room for performance monitoring, measurement and evaluation by interested stakeholders. Indeed, they provide for the holding of the government accountable for the fulfillment or otherwise of the intended programmes.

The government of Lagos State must now bear in mind that interested stakeholders, especially those to whom the promises were made, must have started watching the progress made as time unfolds. It will not be a surprise that in a few weeks, the rate at which the government is fulfilling the promises would be measured, evaluated and reported either positively or negatively. Therefore, knowing that December 2016, which is just about five months ahead, is about the longest deadline for the accomplishment of the programmes, efforts must be made to ensure that neither the words of Mr. Ambode nor the image of the government would find any space in questions or doubt. It is also important that in the execution of the programmes or projects, necessary due processes are followed, quality of work and equipment is up to the best standards and value for money is evident.

A government must always identify the core needs of the people. This calls for serious consultations and engagements with the people as they are the ones in a position to know their needs better than the government.

That stated, it is exigent to re-emphasise that the commitment of Lagos State government towards improving the health and education sectors should be commended. A healthy people will contribute more to national productivity because only a healthy population can produce and sustain a healthy nation. On the second front, education confers knowledge and confidence in the citizens. It is a necessary developmental catalyst which every nation desiring to be great cannot afford to fragile with. Education is the ultimate pillar of democracy even. It empowers the people to know their rights and to hold their government accountable. It is, therefore, strongly recommended that while Lagos State government should be encouraged to single-mindedly forge ahead towards the realisation of improvements in these areas of the citizens’ social needs, other states of the federation should follow its example.