Lagos State government partners Dubai to create Africa’s first Smart City

21 Jun 2016
Financial Nigeria

Summary

The Smart City Lagos will be located in the Ibeju-Lekki axis. It will have a 12-lane road, hotel resorts, world-class technological education facilities, and a rail metro-line, amongst other features.

Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode

The Lagos State Government and the City of Dubai signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Monday to create Africa’s first Smart City in Nigeria’s commercial capital.

Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, said in a statement released on Tuesday that the MoU is aimed at developing sustainable, smart, globally connected knowledge-based communities that can drive a knowledge economy.

“This is a deliberate attempt by us to establish a strong convergence between technology, economic development, and governance,” Governor Ambode said.

The MoU was signed at the Emirate Towers, Dubai, by Adeniji Kazeem, the Lagos State Attorney General, on behalf of Lagos State, and Jabber Bin Hafez, the CEO of Smart City Dubai, on behalf of the City of Dubai. Present at the signing ceremony were Governor Ambode and Ahmad Bin Byat, the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and the Chairman of Dubai Holdings.

The Smart City Lagos will be located in the Ibeju-Lekki axis. It will have a 12-lane road, hotel resorts, world-class technological education facilities, and a rail metro-line, amongst other features.

A Smart City is a growing concept that draws from the successes of Dubai’s innovative knowledge-based industry clusters, empowering business growth for companies and knowledge workers.

“A Smart-City Lagos will be the pride of all Lagosians just as we have Smart-City Dubai, Smart-City Malta and Smart-City Kochi (India). We are encouraged by the fact that we do not, as a government, need to develop at a slow pace, but take full advantage of the digital age and fast track development of Lagos to a real megalopolis that we can all be proud of,” Governor Ambode said.

In his remarks, the Deputy Prime Minister Bin Byat said the Dubai authorities were eager to proceed with the Lagos State government and the Smart City Lagos company, which is the operating entity for the project.

Other witnesses at the signing ceremony included Prof. Pat Utomi, the Chairman of Smart City Lagos Limited; Prof. Ademola Abass, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Overseas Affairs and Investment; Hon. Olanrewaju Oshun, the Chairman, Public Accounts Committee of the Lagos State House of Assembly; and other officials and dignitaries.



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