By Uzor Odigbo, Senior Correspondent
Lagos state government has promised to create an enabling business environment for jetty operators within the state for business to thrive.
The state also said same gesture would be accorded sifax group following the recent acquisition of Ebute Ojo jetty by the group.
The Managing Director of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Mr. Damilola Emmanuel gave the assurance on Friday in Lagos at the end of a five- day water hyacinth initiative training programme organised by the agency to empower women in Lagos.
The programme was organised in collaboration with MITI METH, a private training institute specialised in crafts making and training.
When asked how the agency intended to work with sifax over the new project, Emmanuel stated that the state was commitment to partner with the private sectors to boost water transportation and tourism, pointing out that the move by Sifax Group would serve as a win win situation for Lagosians.
His words: “As you know, the jetties are government infrastructure and one of the things we need to do in government is to create an enabling environment for business to thrive and that is what we are doing. ”
He further noted that the Ebute Ojo jetty would further reduce the number of passengers on the roads, urging the concessionaire to take such advantage of providing the required services to Lagosians.
Recall that after the state handing over of the jetty to the concessionaire recently, works had already commenced.
Speaking on the empowerment initiative, the LASWA boss, called on participants to take advantage of the programme to create wealth for themselves adding that government will continue to encourage people in the state on wealth creation.
He disclosed that the next empowerment programme will take place at the Ikorodu, saying that water hyacinth poses serious danger to water transportation and the agency has taken the advantage by converting waste to wealth.
Fifty women participated in the empowerment programme as the sum of N15,000 was given to each of them as grant.
Similarly, the facilitator of the programme and Managing Director, MITI METH, Mrs. Achenyo Idachaba, stressed the need to convert environmental hazards like water hyacinth to wealth creation.
She maintained that the Lagos State government in collaboration with MITI METH aimed to reduce the menace of the weed on the waterways for safe navigation and to further empower women.
