PIC: (L-R): Deputy Chief of Staff to the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Sam Egube; Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Barr. Abimbola Salu- Hundeyin; Executive Assistant to Lagos State Governor/Head, Lagos State Office of Diaspora Affairs, Dr. Jermaine Sanwo-Olu; Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat; the Assistant Minister and Director-General for African Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Ms. Takahashi Misako; Assistant Director, First Africa Division, Mr. Yoshihiko Inagaki and Head of the Development Cooperation Section, Embassy of Japan, Ms. Hitomi Niikura during a ‘Courtesy Visit’ by the Assistant Minister and Director-General, at the Official Residence of the Deputy Governor, in Osborne, Ikoyi, Lagos on Friday.
Lagos Seeks Japan’s Partnership on Mass Transportation, Cultural Activities
By Our Reporter
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has called for collaboration with Japan on electric buses and other sustainable mass-transit solutions, ostensibly to address the mobility needs of the state's growing population.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by his Deputy, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, made the call on Friday while receiving the Assistant Minister and Director-General for African Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Ms. Takahashi Misako, on a ‘Courtesy Visit' at the Official Residence of the Deputy Governor in Osborne, Ikoyi, Lagos where he noted that the state’s large population and limited landmass made mass transportation particularly important.
According to the governor, exploring opportunities for partnership with Japanese companies in areas such as electric vehicles, particularly high-capacity buses, to improve the movement of residents across the state is essential for the development of Lagos, given its economic burden as the country’s economic nerve centre.
"But I think for going forward, it will be interesting to know what we can do together in terms of electric vehicles. And when I say vehicles, I mean buses, high-capacity buses. What can we do to get electric buses? How do we get our people to move around freely?
Lagos has a population of about 30 million, and we have the smallest land area in the country in terms of percentages. It is very small, but we have the largest population compared to other states. So mass transit is very, very important for us,” he stated.
Governor Sanwo-Olu also called for stronger collaboration in technology and human capital development, noting that Lagos was committed to training young people in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and robotics.
The governor said such partnerships would provide opportunities for knowledge and skills exchange between Japanese experts, students and citizens in Lagos.
Highlighting the importance of cultural exchange between Lagos and Japan, Sanwo-Olu described Lagos as the cultural capital of Nigeria with a vibrant creative industry driven by music such as Afrobeat and other forms of artistic expression, adding that cultural cooperation between them will create greater opportunities for collaboration.
While urging Japanese officials based in Nigeria to pay greater attention to Lagos, Sanwo-Olu said the Lagos State remains the centre of significant economic activities in the country, adding: "Stronger engagement with the Lagos State Government and the Japanese Consulate in Lagos would help identify areas of mutual interest and ensure greater impact."
Earlier in her remarks, the Assistant Minister and Director-General for African Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Ms. Misako, stated that Japan is interested in deepening its partnership with Nigeria, particularly Lagos State, in areas such as technology, citing growing business activities, technological development and opportunities for collaboration in youth development.
Misako, while underlining the growing presence of Japanese businesses in Lagos, noted that 57 major Japanese companies had established operations in the state, with three having manufacturing capabilities.
She added that the ongoing cultural exchanges and the planned Japan-Nigeria Business Facilitation Council meeting in Lagos in October were further evidence of the expanding relationship between both countries.
She said, "We see a lot of potential for further collaboration in the future between Japan and Nigeria. I am very impressed that there is maybe a mutually complementary collaborative relationship between Japan and Nigeria, because Japanese technology and Japanese science capability can also help facilitate the younger Nigerian students who would like to specialize in that area."
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