Stakeholders across the private sector in Lagos, on Thursday seemingly set an agenda for the Ehigbeti 2020 Lagos Economic Summit, during the unveiling of the logo for the ninth edition and 20th anniversary of the maiden edition held in the year 2000.
Expressing support for the summit with the theme: “For a greater Lagos, setting the tone for the next decade,” during the stakeholders press conference, one of the participants, Ayo Olukanmi, Director-General of the National Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (NACCIMA), noted that the success of Lagos will rub off on the entire country, drawing attention to the challenge of solid waste management which the government is struggling with. He called for attention to waste-energy, waste-wealth value chain and the potential for job creation, and cleaner environment, which is key.
Also commenting, Funmi Ogunlesi, executive director, Citibank said the blue and red rail lines are overdue for commissioning in Lagos, given the unquantifiable multiplier effects.
Otunba Francis Meshioye, representative of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) spoke of the need to match manpower development with the industrial needs of the state, thereby creating jobs. He lamented the gradual encroaching of industrial clusters by residential areas, urging the government to ease access to industrial clusters to get goods in and out of industries, besides linking them to the ports
Welcoming all to the unveiling ceremony of the Ehingbeti 2020 summit, the co-chair of the Steering Committee and former Lagos State Commissioner for Economic Planning & Budget in the state, Olayemi Cardoso, recalled that the theme of the maiden edition was “accelerating economic development through private, public sector partnership and that Ehingbeti is about outcome and delivery, rather than a mere talk shop.
He thanked Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for bringing back Ehingbeti after six years in the cooler.
Continuing, Sam Egube, the current commissioner for Economic Planning and budget and co-chair of the summit, indeed, the next decade presents a lot of opportunities that come with collaboration that can surmount every challenge.
“In the last two decades, Ehingbeti has played a pivotal role in the transformation of Lagos State, with useful inputs into Lagos State Development Plans (LSDP)”, said Sam Egube, the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, who is also a Co-chair of the Steering Committee.
“Our realities from 2000 when the first Ehingbeti held, exactly 20 years ago, have significantly changed. As a state, we now have to cater for the infrastructural needs of more than 22million population and ensure that Lagos remains on the path of continuous growth”
“These considerations are the groundwork of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration’s THEMES Agenda, but translating the agenda to benefits for our people will require collaboration amongst stakeholders, and a determination to deepen the foundation for sustainable development and growth of our society. So, Ehingbeti 2020 offers us a platform to address all these”, Egube noted further.
Speaking on why all should support the summit, which will hold virtually, Senior Special Adviser on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Mrs. Solape Hammond, it provides a platform for conversion by all who love Lagos.
The state, she said, also has five independent power plants as part of the outcome of past editions, stressing the importance of Lagos to the continent and indeed, the world.
The virtual summit, she believes will afford broader participation from across the globe, adding that the target is 100,000 participants that will think through and fashion a roadmap to resolve the developmental challenges of Lagos.
The summit, she continued, is targeting inclusion in the three-day event broken down into six plenary sessions broken into working groups expected to come up with resolutions as to what Lagos should be and an opportunity for thought leaders to make inputs.
According to a statement by the organizers, the Ehingbeti logo is now refreshed “to reflect the contemporary outlook of the annual summit without disconnecting from the economic heritage of the Marina and Broad Streets areas of Lagos, which served as the springboard for Nigerian and West African economic development since the European incursion in the 15th century.”
Unveiling the new logo, Cardoso, said “this new Ehingbeti logo is an embodiment of meanings and expression of the LESG ideals. The convergence of colours in the logo connotes the essence of Ehingbeti as a participatory forum for integrating local and international stakeholders to exchange ideas and chart a path for the socio-economic development of Lagos State”
“The bright star above the image of the iconic Agba Meta is a depiction of the result of working together to deliver the stellar accomplishments that define the city-state of Lagos and the pervasive atmosphere of economic stability in the State. I am happy to let you know that the image of the Agba Meta is a representation of the sculpted white cap chiefs built to welcome people into Lagos. The logo is to emphasise our pride in culture as we welcome participants to Ehingbeti 2002 and beyond”, he stressed.
Acknowledged as the first institutionalized economic forum by any state in Nigeria, Ehingbeti is a public-private sector roundtable that started as a collaborative effort between the Lagos State Government and Business Club Ikeja. Since the inaugural summit in 2000, the summit has gained useful insights from innumerable business and political leaders, private sector players, renowned economists, notable development experts, and outstanding scholars, who have participated from various parts of the world.
Ehingbeti is an ingenuous socio-economic apparatus that has contributed significantly to the evolution of Lagos State into a major economy in sub-Saharan Africa and an admirable megacity, with expanding potentialities. The summit, hosted by successive administrations in Lagos State since the beginning of the 4th Republic, has consistently redefined the dynamics of public-private sector collaboration for development across social and economic indices in Lagos State.
Photo caption: From left, Lagos State Commissioner for Information & Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso; Chairman, Lagos Ehingbeti Economic Summit Group, Yemi Cardoso; Lagos State Commissioner for Budget & Economy Planning, Sam Egwube; Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on SDG’s and Investments, Mrs. Solape Hammond; and the Chairman, Lagos State House Committee on Economy and Budget, Gbolahan Yishau, during stakeholders media conference and unveiling of the 2020 Lagos Ehingbeti Summit Logo in Lagos on Thursday, October 8, 2020.
