Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, says the Gross Domestic Product of the state is now $131bn, which is greater than those of 42 African countries combined.
Ambode said his government would leverage on the buoyant economy the state offers to create more employment and provide an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.
The governor said this on Friday while hosting the Polish Ambassador to Nigeria, Andrezj Dycha, some European Union officials and Polish business Chief Executive Officers who were on a courtesy visit to the Lagos House in Alausa, Ikeja.
He said, “We are committed to creating industrial clusters in the state, which will in turn, go a long way in engaging the people in gainful employment. The market is not only restricted to the Nigerian market, the market is more or less a hub for the West African Sub-Region and when you look at the GDP of Lagos which is at $131bn presently, it is greater than 42 countries combined in Africa.
“So, we stand at the threshold of the opportunities that our new democracy is actually offering us. Lagos is the fourth largest economy in Africa with a population of over 20 million people. The market which the state is blessed with is a great opportunity which can be and must be utilised for the people’s benefits.”
The governor said his government had commenced the process of implementing judicial and security sector reforms to make the state a safe place to live.
He said he was willing to learn from the success of Poland on agriculture, software technology, among other areas.
“I will be willing to scale up this courtesy visit to a bilateral platform, where issues of mutually beneficial partnership will be discussed and perfected,” he added.
While introducing the office of the Overseas Affairs and Investment to the visitors, Ambode said the office was a one-stop shop where investors could seamlessly obtain regulatory approvals and other incentives in order to boost investments.
Some of the Polish CEOs explained how they could partner Lagos in various sectors such as renewable energy, waste to wealth programme and power transmission and distribution.
The Political Director of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jaroslaw Bratkiewicz, thanked the governor for hosting them, adding that the visit was the beginning of a cordial relationship with the state.
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