By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Monsur Olowoopejo

Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and his Oyo State counterpart, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, have stressed the need for Lagos State to evolve a ‘seamless cooperation’ between it and its neighbours for the state to attain the status of being the economic focal point of the country and indeed, the West African sub-region.

The duo made the remarks at the closing ceremony of the 6th Lagos Economic summit, EHINGBETI 2012 themed From BRICS to BRINCS: Lagos holds the key, held in Lagos, saying if there is no seamless collaboration between these states, Lagos may be stagnant in its drive to develop its economy.

Aregbesola in his goodwill message commended Lagos for its effort in signposting organised development agenda, saying its heavy investment in economic policies and strategies has kept the nation focused.

He said the state must lead from the front and show the way to other states in the region, stressing that it was the only way to ensure that the development drive in Lagos is sustained.

Aregbesola said: “Should Lagos move alone, the state will be inundated by people who speak the same language with the state first, they will abandon their territory to suffuse the state and all the efforts by the state to achieve greatness will come to nought.

“Lagos must do more in ensuring that the neighbouring states particularly, are helped to develop along with the state. And the only way Lagos State can feed your population is for the state to provide platform where states in the south-west can supply the state with the required amount of agricultural produce.

“At present, Osun State is working with Lagos State Government to ensure that we establish 57 Osun farm marts in all the local governments and LCDAs in the state.”

Ajimobi who also shared similar thoughts said, “What Lagos lacks in land, she has in water, what Oyo lacks in water, she has in land. We want a seamless cooperation amongst the states, Lagos is becoming choked up and it would be difficult to address that if we do not reach out to ourselves for us to share our ideas to engineer regional growth.”

He however commended the consistency the state has shown in the last 13 years of democratic governance and serving as a pace setter, admitting that it was a ray of hope that, “Qualitative leadership will engineer appreciable development and excellence”.

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, while declaring the summit closed assured that the state would work hand in hand with other states for the benefit of the nation.

He explained that Lagos holds the key if Nigeria must move  to join the leading economic nations in the world, stressing that the intention  of the summit was not just to seek a mere status but one that would be fully representative of the economic drive of the country”.

“It will do us no good to be a BRICS member and still battle with polio and water supply. We must work our way to prosperity to earn that feat”, Fashola charged.

Stressing that the summit has become the rallying point from where that engender prosperity for Lagos and growth for the Nigerian economy are conceived and pursued with the utmost diligence.

Fashola, assured participants that the state government will give the recommendations and resolutions passed at the summit all the necessary support to ensure implementation before the next summit in April 2014.

“The story of Ehingbeti is the story of the prosperity that lies in the waters and waterfront of Lagos symbolized by the Marina and which has now extended to Victoria Island, and is expanding to other frontiers of Lagos.

“This Summit has become the rallying point from where ideas that engender prosperity for Lagos and growth for the Nigerian economy are conceived and pursued with the utmost diligence.

“When we held the 4thSummit in 2008, we did not have this hall, Lekki Expressway was just starting, there was no power supply in Iju and Adiyan water works, Eko Atlantic City was only a dream that many doubted, there was only one mall in Lagos on the Lekki Expressway, the Lagos Light Rail and Badagry Expressway were far away dreams.

“But from that Summit and the 2010 Summit, we have moved on. We have faithfully applied ourselves to our commitments as contained in our resolutions and following from these commitments, many dreams have come through while others are maturing.”