By Kingsley Adegboye

In its avowed commitment to promote best practices that will enhance and support government’s drive to attract infrastructure to the state, Lagos State Government has begun talks with a Canadian firm, Messrs SNC Lavalin ( PTY) Ltd to explore and determine areas of possible partnership.

Disclosing this at the weekend, Mr. Ganiyu Johnson, Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Fashola on Works and Infrastructure, assured that the state government is irrevocably committed to promoting best practices that will enhance and support government’s drive to attract infrastructure to the state.

Lagos state, he said, represents the best investment haven on the continent of Africa given its market size and the policy options being pursued by the administration to ensure and guarantee adequate return on investment.

Johnson who also noted that the state government has embraced the concept of public procurement that is transparent and in line with international best practices, added that apart from direct contract, the government has equally adopted Private Public Partnership PPP to ensure that long term risks are adequately identified while funds are allocated to ensure that there is an efficient use of public resources.

While assuring prospective investors on the security of their investment, Johnson restated that such partnership will be mutually benefiting as dividends of democracy will promote a stable polity that will guarantee return on investment.

He further explained the Ministry’s role in government projects which includes consultancy to agencies of government, adding that there is a need to ensure that adequate communication plans are adopted and utilised during the lifespan of a project.

Speaking on the talks, the Special Adviser to Governor on PPP, Mrs. Shola Shashore stated that in addition to enhancing the mobilisation of private capital to accelerate the delivery of public infrastructure, PPP offers other benefits such as encouraging competitiveness and innovation in the delivery of public goods and services.

In his remarks, the Senior Vice President of the Canadian firm (SNC- LAVALIN), Mr. Mark Hall stated that the company has diverse expertise in construction and it is interested in projects such as roads.