Smart-City Project: Lagos moves towards 24/hr technology driven economy
By Moses Adeniyi
The Lagos State Government has disclosed its strong move towards developing Smart technologies that will drive an economy fortified with 24 hour commercial activities.
Report gathered revealed that the vision implemented under the Lagos Smart-City Project will advance the state’s economy by becoming a 24/hr driven commercial center, which would allow companies to operate in a safe, secure and smart environment that would create more jobs and increase GDP of the State.
It would be recalled that in a bid to develop a technology driven economy, the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had announced a N250million seed fund to boost Technological innovation and initiatives, in demonstration of the State’s commitment to developing Lagos into a 21st-century Digital Economy and Smart City.
In addition, it was gathered that the Lagos Sate Government under the Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC) has funded over 50 Research, Innovation and STEM Projects in the last one year.
Other projects funded within the period under review include startups on COVID-19 intervention projects; startups on patent pending research initiatives; innovative startups in sectors such as Agric-Tech, Health-Tech, Construction and Manufacturing; among others.
It was gathered that while there was an implemention of a 3,000km of Fibre Metro Network connection in Year 2020, an additional 3,000km in Year 2021 had been achieved across the State as part of the comprehensive Smart City Programme that seeks to provide a 24-hour driven economy.
It would be recalled that grants were awarded to successful applicants. The first set of beneficiaries (Innovators and tech start-ups) selected to benefit from the Lagos State seed fund, in the fields of Innovation, Research and STEM in August 2020 were empowered with 100million innovation grants, which is part of the 250million grants for Science and Technology related ideas and initiatives.
The grant was said to be in line with developing technology which is one of the six pillars of the development agenda, T.H.E.M.E.S, of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu led administration which includes fuelling technology-driven innovations to transform Lagos into a 21st century digital economy and Smart City.
The State’s Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr. Hakeem Fahm, on Monday, at the Year 2021 Ministerial Press Briefing to commemorate two years of the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu led Administration in office, mentioned that the implementation of the Lagos State Smart City Project is designed to enable governance, connectivity and environmental security.
He noted that Startup Lagos being the largest tech eco system, offer retail and institutional investors the opportunities of tapping into the vast potential of early-stage tech driven startup initiatives to blossom into regional and continental scale solutions to Africa’s diverse challenges.
Speaking on the LASG Campus Network Infrastructure, Fahm said the LASG Campus Network upgrade was implemented with a State of the Art Wifi Network (Wifi-6 devices) and an FTTPend to end network
He added that the Network upgrade connects thousands of computers from all MDAs within and around the Secretariat for e-government operations.
“It increased efficiencies within the MDAs; Online meetings and deliberations are a reality; It has enabled flexible working patterns; Enabled E-learning across Campus; Implementation of online staff audit; while at the same time stabilizing its ICT environments and Improved Online Collaborative Solutions,” he added.
According to him, the use of technology would make reporting of security incidents easy to reach, and promote access to major stakeholders in the government
The Commissioner reiterated that the Smart City project will also incorporate smart technologies into transport infrastructure surveillance and security, healthcare services, education, and government services.
He mentioned that this will strategically dovetail towards making Lagos technologically developed through the provision of affordable internet access, and thereby closing the gap between the people and the Government.
The Commissioner described the project as a transformation being achieved through technology in order to enhance the ease of doing business, adding that it involved stationing of security cameras around the state.
Fahm explained that the State is using Technology to facilitate integrated policies and services that allow access to a range of public services, and also improve standards of living through online service delivery.
“This comes in various forms such as tax submission and registration of businesses, reducing the administrative burden on the public and private sectors and improving transparency. E-governance effectively deployed can have significant impact on poverty reduction and increase the efficiency of public institutions,” he added.
He explained that the Smart-City project involved “laying fibre optic cables across the state, and building a metro-network where parastatals are connected.
“The unified fibre project is a multi-year project which will involve the installation of a total of 6000km in fibre optic cables that will come in two phases of 3000km each,” he said.
Fahm noted that the State is installing both fibre cables and the infrastructure (fibre ducts) that other companies can latch on in order to expand their network.
It was disclosed that the plan of the Administration, is to connect the fibre optic cables to all public schools and institutions of learning, health centres, and all government offices and parastatals.
He said the State Government is working tirelessly to increase public access to the Internet and promote digital literacy.
Speaking on the installation of CCTV Cameras, the Commissioner said “Safeguarding Lagos has gone beyond the ordinary. We have built new data rooms, install more cameras and effectively deploy technology in our operations, especially as regards to security and traffic management,” he briefed.
Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Innovation and Technology, Mr. Tunbosun Alake while speaking on Science students’ innovation and ideas, said that the State sponsored participation at the Y2021 774 Young Nigerian Scientist Presidential Award (774-YONSPA) among Secondary school students.
“This [STEM Education] is to boast interest of students in Science and Technology and to encourage and involve young children in bringing up Projects and Programmes that can resolve challenges in the State, such as Infrastructure, Environment, Waste Management, etc,” he briefed.
Alake noted that the 2nd Edition of the ‘Art of Technology 2.0′, themed ‘Smart Data, Smarter Lagos’, brought together the best of tech minds from across the globe physically and virtually on the 3rd and 4th of December 2020, with conversation that centred on the fundamental role data plays in connecting the city with its citizens.
He however, urged ITpreneurs and other innovative minds to take advantage of the opportunities the State is offering to help businesses and entrepreneurs.
