Jimi Agbaje Manifesto

Lagos:Beyond 2015BOLD IDEASNEW OPPORTUNITIESWe will also work, especially with healthcare professionals and civil society, to increase the availability and spread of highquality healthcare facilities whilst helping all our people gain access to them. Our Lagos must become one where citizensare free from the fear of ill health and death from preventable diseases.In my professional and working life, I have come to see that the realisation of our ‘people’ agenda depends on reaffirmingthe national pre-eminence of the Lagos economy and making it an important continental hub.If our Lagos is to continue to attract and retain investment, it cannot continue to be the 137 th worst place to live in out of140 cities ranked by the Economist Intelligence Unit. We will over the next four years deliver improvements in the quality oflife offered by our megacity unmatched by any other in the world.Whilst we remain a commercial and industrial hub, there is little doubt that our economy can do a lot better. On-goingexpansion and upgrade of infrastructure must be accelerated to enhance the competitiveness of our economy andultimately the creation of jobs for our people. The water resources of our State must be harnessed to add the dimensions ofan ‘Ocean Economy’ to our current character.I am clear that success in government will surely come through a robust relationship which enables the deployment ofprivate capital, methodology and expertise to meeting the various challenges which our State faces.Entrepreneurial Governance will be the approach of the PDP Administration inaugurated in Lagos after the forthcomingelections. Our approach is that while the government will provide direction, determine priorities and monitor performance,the private sector will, as far as possible, be charged with bringing our ideas to life. Enlargement of the Private Sector in thisway will create work for our people and provide revenue to the government.Our Lagos cannot be comfortable knowing that about 70% of our people live in slums and unsuitable neighbourhoods. Weenvision a Lagos State where decent, affordable housing is available. We will ensure that our programme to upgrade slumareas brings succour to our people in the shortest possible time.6