The Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has emphasised that compliance with physical planning laws and other laws of the state is necessary to achieve sustainable cities.

The governor spoke during the celebration of 2023 World Habitat Day with the theme: Resilient Urban Economies. Cities as Drivers of Growth and Recovery was held at the Blueroof, Lagos Television (LTV), where he recounted the efforts of his administration in creating sustainable communities.

Governor Sanwo-Olu said that World Habitat Day offered a critical reminder of the roles and responsibilities that leaders and citizens bear towards the environment.

The governor, who was represented by the Special Adviser, e-GIS and Urban Development, Dr Olajide Babatunde, called on all concerned to be mindful of their responsibilities towards the built environment, particularly at this period when different parts of the world grapple with the impact of climate change and related challenges.

He mentioned that Lagos, under his administration, had experienced many challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the ENDSARS protest, and the attendant destruction of public and private property, as well as other disasters such as flash floods, rainstorms, building collapses, fire outbreaks, and gas explosions that left telltale impacts on lives and property.

“However, Lagos, in the face of all these adversities, continues to soar high, bringing its resilience to bear and rebounding with vigour and innovative measures to guarantee a prosperous state that will pivot a 21st-century economy to the benefit of all”, he said.

He noted that with purposeful leadership and the consistent incremental efforts of successive civilian administrations since 1999, Lagos State had risen above its socio-economic challenges, mostly defined by its burgeoning population and strategic position as a cultural and economic hub in the West African sub-region.

His words: “For the past 54 months, my administration has consistently built on the foundation of efforts to create a new sustainable path for the well-being of the state and her people.

We have remained focused with determined measures on not only providing adequate social infrastructure and creating an enabling environment for all and sundry to thrive in the country’s economic capital and melting pot but have also ensured that enough measures are in place to address their sustainability.”

He said that his administration was not content with merely envisioning and providing critical infrastructure such as the Blueline (lite rail) and ferry services, among others, but had gone ahead to provide initiatives and structures to enhance the resilience of the state and its people.

“The foregoing explains the recent capacity enhancement of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the Lagos State Fire Service, the state security and quasi-security outfits such as the Rapid Response Squad, the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, LNSC, and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, among others”, he said.

He said that to support the resilience of the state, his administration had made massive investments in higher and lower-order physical plans, drainage construction, and flood management, as well as the establishment of the Ilera Eko Health Insurance Scheme, the Lagos Resilience Office, LASRO, and the provision of healthcare facilities across the state.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Oluyinka Abiodun, acknowledged the significance of the WHD as an important international observation dedicated to creating awareness and inspiring actions on the state of human settlements across the world.

He stated that since its declaration by the UN-HABITAT in 1985 as an official United Nations International Day, the day has become a rallying point for all lovers of the environment who share renewed interest in sustainable cities for all.

He said that Lagos was a committed environment champion who was proud to associate with the annual global observance, whose ideals reinforce the avowed development path of T.H.E.M.E.S. plus Agenda.

He noted that this Urban October ushered in the new Cabinet of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State, which he said would, in the second term of the Governor, be offering insightful contributions for the successful execution of the THEMES Plus Agenda, which is a well-thought-out blueprint of interested pillars of activities designed to propel the state into growth, prosperity, and resilience, among others.

“On the physical planning front, Lagosians can rest assured of the resolute pursuit of policies that will support transparency, fast-track an informative hitch-free approval process, and bring about zero tolerance for building collapse.

“The Certified Accreditor Programme (CAP) and the Certificate of Structural Integrity Programme (CSIP) shall remain vital in birthing a sustainable built environment with the much-desired collaboration of tested and trusted private professionals in the sector”, he said.

A seasoned town planner, Waheed Kadiri, delivered a lecture around the theme of World Habitat Day, which was thereafter discussed by a team of discussants