The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has promised the business community and corporate sector in the state a 24-hour economy if elected as the governor on February 28.
In a release signed by his Director of Media and Communications, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, the APC candidate spoke at two well-attended fora in the past few days to enumerate his vision for a “clean, secure and more prosperous Lagos.”
The former Accountant General of Lagos State who is also a Fulbright scholar first spoke to some select business community gurus and entrepreneurs last Wednesday at the Civic Centre at an event tagged ‘An Evening with Akin Ambode’. It held under the auspices of his colleagues with whom he attended the Federal Government College, Warri.
Ambode’s latest parley with the corporate sector held on Sunday at the Oriental Hotel in Lekki Lagos. His message to top industry players and business moguls at both events was similar: Lagos has recorded undeniable growth in the past 15 and half years due to the consistency of vision of the APC and that the next four year deserves continuity of that mission from a governor who is qualified, prepared and well-tutored in the art of governance.
Ambode who holds a Master’s degree in Accounting and qualified as a chartered accountant at 24 said he was glad about the opportunities to interact and share ideas on how best to move Lagos forward, adding that he considered those in the gathering as “worthy partners and major stakeholders in growing the economy of Lagos State”.
The University of Lagos trained Ambode said if given the opportunity to serve this great State, “Lagos will be open for business 24 hours a day and seven days a week making it a true 24/7 economy. For a mega city to thrive, we must have a holistic plan to make the city attractive and investment-friendly both domestically and internationally.
“The importance of Lagos and how its resources are managed have national implications either positively or otherwise. Lagos is the most populous city in Nigeria and the seventh fastest growing city in the world. We are home to approximately 21 million people, and we are the economic heartbeat of this great nation and indeed West Africa at large. It is in the interest of this country that we all jointly and collectively play our part in ensuring that Lagos remains prosperous.”
According to him, the host community of any business must be accommodating for that business to thrive and prosper, stating that he is proud to say that the people of Lagos and its government have been friendly and welcoming to investors, migrants and the business community in general. He promised to ensure that such rapport between the state and the business community would continue to be so under his watch.
He said: “I have spent a greater part of my life in government rendering public service and learning the rudiments of good governance. I derive joy in encouraging and seeing young people succeed and actualise their dreams. It inspires me, it energises me, and it gives me hope for the future.”
