Frances Odimgbe
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Monday, received the United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary, Mr. David Lammy, in a courtesy call at the State House in Marina, hours after the British envoy arrived Nigeria in his first trip to Africa to discuss UK’s new approach to the continent.
Lammy, accompanied by the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery, and his deputy, Jonny Baxter, said Lagos became his first port of call in his Africa tour, given the centuries-old relationships between the two countries.
The Foreign Secretary said the socio-cultural and economic relationship between the United Kingdom and Nigeria was second to none, pointing out that Lagos had a huge number of families with relatives in London and other parts of the UK. The mutual dealings, the envoy said, had been further strengthened in business, remittances and finance cooperation.
Lammy said his visit was to further enhance the bilateral ties between the two countries, creating mutual understanding that would unlock more opportunities for both sides in thriving trade relations.
He said: “My first port of call in my visit to the continent of Africa is Lagos, which is naturally a bustling economic hub not just for Nigeria but also West Africa. What I have been experiencing since my arrival in Lagos is dynamism, vibrancy and huge opportunities that exist in this great city. These values befit our approach to the continent, which rests on mutual growth of our economies.
“We have seen how the Red Line is increasing transportation options in Lagos and it is pleasing to see UK manufacturers as being part of this transportation growth in Lagos. We want to see more of mutual cooperation in this sector. There is more we can do in several other areas. I am here to say the UK is very much open for more business with our old friends, and I dare say Lagos represents the old friendship. There is a win-win for our businesses and our societies.”
Lammy said the UK looked forward to a new partnership with Lagos in expansion of clean energy consumption, which would help the city to bolster its adaptation to climate change.
The Foreign Secretary mulled a potential deal with two UK companies willing to invest in clean and renewable energy in Lagos.
Sanwo-Olu told the visiting British envoy that the new UK’s trade approach aligned with the State’s growth plan, noting that Lagos possessed a huge population of creative and dynamic young people yearning for new opportunities across sectors.
He said the State Government had sustained an investment in knowledge-based training opportunities for young people to develop their talents and make their skills lucrative in modern economic order.
This agenda, the Governor said, is to make Lagos a human development capital of the continent, where investors would find competent professionals with right skills in any sector of the economy.
Sanwo-Olu shared business opportunities waiting to be harnessed in waste management, stressing that Lagos grappled with over 10,000 metric tons of waste daily, which could serve as raw materials for companies converting waste to clean energy.
He said: “We want you to go back home with the level of confidence that Lagos is a place to put investment and we will continue to make this environment a lot more attractive to businesses that are looking forward to more growth and opportunities.”