By NAOMI UZOR
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola is to meet with the Organised Private Sector (OPS) to deliberate on how to attract capital for development of infrastructure in the state.

The State’s commissioner for commerce and industry, Mrs Olusola Senapon Oworu, made the disclosure during a courtesy visit to the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, adding that the Governor is planning to have a meeting with the OPS before the end of the year.

According to her, Fashola wants to strengthen the collaboration between the state and OPS so as to move the state forward and attract capital.

“We know that infrastructure is a major problem especially in the power sector and is still on the exclusive list of the Federal Government, and we at the Lagos state government, are doing everything that we can to give the necessary support, which was why we went into partnership with an Egyptian firm and has also done a couple of independent power plant at Akute, Ikorodu and Marina. We are inviting the private sector to partner with us to setup an additional power plant in industrial locations,”she stated.

Furthermore, Oworu said we also lack adequate infrastructure in the transportation sector, adding that there is no way the economy can strive without adequate transportation and to show its commitment, the Lagos state have started on the blue line which is from Okokomaiko to Marina.

“Manufacturing only contributes 4 per cent to our GDP, we need to diversify, we need to attract investors so as to improve the manufacturing sector. This 4 percent cannot cater for the youths who are unemployed,” she said

In a related development, LCCI said its forthcoming trade fair will be declared opened by President Goodluck Jonathan. It is scheduled to hold from November 4, at the International Trade Fair Complex, Badagry Expressway.

In a parley with pressmen, the Vice President and Chairman, Trade Promotion Board, Alhaji Remi Bello, affirmed that President Jonathan would declare the fair open to the public. According to him, the theme of this year’s fair is “Increasing Competitiveness of Nigerian Products in the Global Market.”

He said the theme is an indication of the chamber’s readiness to motivate public-private sector collaboration for the provision of an enabling business environment that will promote and encourage the Nigerian industrial sector to improve quality in order to meet the challenges of standards and competitiveness in the global market.

“With this theme, the fair will focus attention on public-private sector collaboration in the drive to improve quality and standards of Nigeria products in order to meet international standard.

We intend to address the imperative of deliberate and concerted efforts by key players in our nation’s economy to tackle the inhibiting factors against our indigenous industrialists, and that will be mutually beneficial to both sectors,” he said.

Bello further noted that the world is becoming smaller by the day, with countries all over the world agreeing on globally accepted standards in all aspects of businesses, whether production or service delivery, adding that it will be unwise for any economy to remain a recluse in this global crusade for quality at the right price.

“We must therefore provide a workable synergy between the public sector, in the provision of basic infrastructures and the private sector, in ensuring effectiveness and efficiency in its operations.”