Ekocity layout August-1

CONTENTS
Aug., - Sept., 2017
Inside:
CHRONICLE OF
GOVERNANCE
IN LAGOS STATE
32
INSIDE INFRONT
4 THE EVOLUTION OF LAGOS IN THE PAST FIVE DECADES
By Yinka Oloyede
5 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MUST BE OUR UTMOST
PRIORITY – Chief Dr. Omojolowo
6 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DESCRIBES LAGOS STATE AS A
TRUE MODEL OF THE VISION OF DOING BUSINESS, ENEL-
AMAH
8 LAGOS IS LIVING ITS FULL POTENTIALS, SAYS
DR. KENNEDY OKONKWO
11 THE EVOLUTION OF LAGOS IN THE PAST FIVE DECADES
BY YINKA OLOYEDE
12 LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT SHOULD FOCUS ON NEW
CITIES DEVELOPMENT - Dr. Akpo Onduke
14 LAGOS STATE CAN EXPLOIT ALTERNATIVE SOURCE OF
ENERGY TO SOLVE THE PERENNIAL POWER CHALLENGE
- Chief Vincent Ajede
17 TAX PAYERS’ MONEY SPURRED LAGOS’ INFRASTRUCTURE
LEAP — AMBODE
19 THE ORIGIN OF ADAMU ORISHA PLAY (POPULARLY
KNOWN AS EYO)
20 OUR INTEREST IS TO DEVELOP NIGERIA WITHOUT OIL
SAYS GANIYU DADA
22 TWO YEARS OF TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP OF
GOVERNOR AKINWUNMI AMBODE
24 LAGOS @ 50 – THE UNTOLD STORY
36 ASIWAJU BOLA AHMED TINUBU LAID THE FOUNDATION
FOR A NEW LAGOS
Aug., - Sept., 2017
26
36
19
www.ekocitymagazine.com | 1

PUBLISHER’S NOTE
ECONOMY
EKOCITY MAGAZINE
PUBLISHER
Abiodun Fawumi
MANAGING EDITOR
Nnamdi Nwokolo
GLOBAL EDITOR
Olorunfemi Bababtunde
HEAD GRAPHICS / LAYOUT DESIGNER
OlaWale Hammed
ON-LINE EDITOR
Citizen Odunayo
EDITORIAL ADVISER
Rotimi Akinbobola, Demola Davies, Idris Alabidun
EDITORIAL BOARD
Olaleye Olusegun, Alaba Foluso, Ike Okonkwo,
Ojo Olorunjunwon
CORRESPONDENT
Agada Mercy (Lagos), Ademola Aderonke (Ikorodu),
Chinwe John (UK)
LEGAL ADVISER
Phylex Associates
COLUMNIST
Taiwo Joseph, Dr. Paul Jesuyajolu, Akin Abimbola,
Engr. Fakiyesi Oladapo, Prof. Hubert Ramphasaad, Bukola
Idowu, Adeyinka Oloyede
DISTRIBUTOR
Tolbim Marketing Agency Company
PHOTOGRAPHER
Adegboyega Moses & Tiza Joseph
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Abosede Ikotun, Adeyinka , Nkechi Olunwa,
Bolanle Oladipo
Celebrating 50
years of Excellence
This is a special edition of Ekocity
magazine to commemorate and celebrate
Lagos State @50 anniversary.
We were excited as the celebration
is more or less a celebration of excellence
as Lagos has become a model
for National development. In a bid to
serve you a bumper edition, we had
to reach out and talk to reputable corporate
organizations and individuals
who have contributed positively to
the economic transformation of Lagos
State as part of this package.
As you know, Ekocity Ming the Lagos
of our dreams. We hope that you will
enjoy this edition which has been
carefully packaged as a memoir and
feel free to ask for copies from your
vendor and as always, we will like
to get feedback from you to help us
serve you better.
Cheers,
We’ve
empowered
4,000 SMEs to
augment Lagos
economy
— Ambode
Lagos moves to
streamline tax
collection policy
LAGOS ADDRESS:
Suite 5, Jabita Hotel Plaza, 144 Awolowo Road,
Opp. Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
US ADDRESS:
12610 Rustic Rock Lane, Beltsville MD, 20705.
ENQUIRIES:
07015637452, 08023082446
E-MAIL:
ekocitymedia@gmail.com
info@ekocitymagazine.com
WEBSITE:
www.ekocitymagazine.com
ekocitymagazine ekocitymagazine ekocitytv
Abiodun Fawunmi
ADVERT HOTLINES: 07015637452, 08023082446
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, says the N25billion
Employment Trust Fund (ETF) set up by his administration has successfully
empowered over 4000 small and medium scale businesses
in the last two years to boost the economy of the State.
Speaking recently when he received a delegation from Legatum
Center for Development and Entrepreneurship, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology (MIT) on a courtesy visit at the Lagos House in
Ikeja, Ambode said deliberate efforts have been made by his administration
to aid businesses and encourage budding entrepreneurs
in the State.
Amobode further reiterated that the Employment Trust Fund
with a budget of N25billion was set up to be able to touch younger
people that would not necessarily have the capital to recreate their
skills and so far in the last two years about 4000 entrepreneurs have
been empowered.
While welcoming the partnership prospects with MIT, Governor
Ambode said he was excited that the Legatum Center had finally
discovered the importance of the African continent as a key part of
the map to driving innovation as well as entrepreneurship and Lagos
as one of its major city partners.
Besides, the Governor said that the setting up of the Ministry of
Wealth Creation and Employment was in consonance with the ideals
of the Legatum Center, assuring that his administration would do
all it can to sustain the partnership beyond entrepreneurship.
Earlier, in her remarks, Executive Director, MIT, Mrs. Georgina
Flatter said the team was in Lagos to liaise with entrepreneurs in the
State and build sustainable partnerships going forward. She said the
MIT team had spent the last few days touring eco systems and visiting
entrepreneurs and ventures across Lagos, describing the experience
so far as most inspiring.
Lagos State Government is considering streamlining its tax and
revenue collection method to enable Small Scale Enterprises to
thrive in Lagos.The State Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Akinyemi
Ashade, stated this at the Tax and Revenue Stakeholders’
Forum organized by the Ministry at LASCOFED Conference Centre
Ogba, recently.
He explained that the proposed harmonization is in response
to the appeal of Lagosians, particularly the business community,
on multiple taxes collected by government, adding that the forum
is to address areas of conflict, streamline revenue collection
between the State and Local Governments and set up a proper
channel of collection and billing.
Ashade also revealed that though the Constitution gave the
right to collection of levies by the different levels of government,
the State and the Local Governments have been collaborating
on the collection of levies such as Land Use Charge, which has
tenement rate infused to it and is remitted to the Local Governments
after collection.
The Commissioner advised that all revenue generation agencies,
particularly at the Local Government level, should introduce
ICT for ease of billing and collection, stressing that it will go
a long way in reducing the cost of collection, fraud and improve
revenue generation.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance,
Mr. Tairu Ogenleye, said that the purpose of the stakeholders’
forum is to move Lagos State forward. He noted that the bureaucracy
and bottlenecks inherent in the current system of doing
business is affecting and creating challenges for existing and
potential new business/investors, especially in terms of understanding
all the appropriate levies and licensing fees payable to
the government at both State and Local Government as well as
being able to make such payment with ease. Consequently, he
reiterated that the present administration is looking to implement
various strategies/initiatives aimed at improving the ease
of doing business, with a view to attracting and retaining additional
foreign investment into the State.
2 | www.ekocitymagazine.com Aug., - Sept., 2017 Aug., - Sept., 2017
www.ekocitymagazine.com | 3

COVER
COVER
Ibeju Lekki: The Emerging
Commercial Hub of Lagos
What makes investing in Ibeju Lekki Irresistible?
Ibeju Lekki is a wide expanse of land that
hosts choice developmental projects such
as the Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lekki Deep
Seaport, Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical
Industry, Dangote Fertilizer Plant, International
(Cargo) Airport, Lekki International
Golf Course, Pan Atlantic University, Eleganza
Industries and many others. It is really a
hot investment spot.The area also attracts
massive amount of tourism as it is endowed
with beautiful lagoon and gorgeous ocean
fronts.The development in the area is rapid
and ongoing as some even refer to the area
as the New Lagos. In fact the area is the
emerging commercial hub of Lagos state
with many investments being done to develop
industries and infrastructures.
Communities in the axis offer the cheapest
plots of land, although this axis looks
relatively undeveloped, the many proposed
key developmental projects coming
will open it up to rapid development. This
is responsible for the growing interest by
property investors. Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos has
more investment prospects than the most
expensive and popular Ikoyi, Victoria Island
and Lekki Phase 1 all in Lagos, Nigeria.
For example, In the 70’s, plot of land in
Ikoyi sold for less than #2 Million Naira,
but today prices range from #300 Million &
above.
In the 80’s plot of land in Victoria Island sold
for less than #4 Million, but today prices
range from #250 Million & above.
In the 90’s plot of land in Lekki Phase 1
sold for less than #2 Million, but today prices
range from #150 Million & above.
Smart investors took the advantage and
invested even though there weren’t any
international projects within the aforementioned
locations and yet they made over
500% pure profits on their investments after
a few years.
Now, think of Ibeju Lekki Lagos the "hottest
investment zone" in Africa, sitting on
multi-billion Dollar international projects
that will skyrocket your investments within
the next 36 months.
Some of the projects include:
The Lekki International Airport: The
proposed Lekki International Airport is a
$450million project located off Lekki-Epe
Expressway towards Epe. The Airport is
planned to cover 3, 000 hectares of land.
4th Mainland Bridge: When completed in 2019 as promised by
Governor AkinwunmiAmbode, the 37.9 kilometres 4th Mainland
Bridge is principally meant to link Ikorodu and Ajah/Badore, traversing
to North-West direction towards the Lagoon shoreline to Lagos-
Ibadan Expressway. This is another reason Ibeju-Lekki is gradually
becoming a choice location.
Free Trade Zone: At present, it may be hard to establish the possibility
of Elerangbe benefitting hugely from the much talked about
Lekki Free Trade Zone considering that it would take 50 minutes to
drive to the zone from Elerangbe. However, a direct link road between
the two locations is being proposed. This will reduce the distance
to about 15 minutes’ drive.
Dangote Refinery: After decades of failure by the government to
build modern refineries as solution to the incessant fuel scarcity in
the country, a new dawn is breaking with the Dangote Lekki Refinery,
a private sector investment by Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Nigeria’s
foremost business tycoon, adjudged by Forbes as the richest man
in Africa. Dangote represents a beacon of hope and inspiration in
Nigeria.
The refinery is coming as a big relief to Nigerians, who have borne
the brunt of the mismanagement of the country’s abundant
oil resources. That Nigeria, until recently, the sixth
largest oil producer in the world, has no functional
refineries is confounding. By embarking
on the refinery project, Dangote has defied the
lame argument that there is no profit in refinery
business and that government cannot run
a profitable refinery business. Sadly enough,
successive administrations in the country
bought into the falsehood and held down
any move in that direction.
His vision for business development in
Africa and Nigeria in particular is incomparable
and unprecedented. Nigeria is indeed
blessed to have him as one of her
eminent citizens. His impacts on the
socio-economic development of the
country resonate in different sectors
of the economy.
Dangote’s refinery is therefore
coming as a light at the end of a
dark tunnel. There is no doubt
that government is thrilled and
in full support of the project.
Against that backdrop, Vice
President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo,
who recently, went on an assessment
tour of the project, accompanied
by the Lagos State
Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode,
Chairman of Dangote Group,
Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Minister of
Power, Works and Housing and former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde
Fashola.
Being that the refinery is integrated with a petrochemical plant,
a fertilizer plant and a subsea pipeline project, it is the largest in the
world. Aliko Dangote disclosed that the $12 billion project would
be completed in the first quarter of 2019 and that the Federal Government
would earn over N145 billion as income as the refinery has
a capacity to refine 650,000 barrels per day. Besides the economic
gain of the refinery, which is of great importance, will put Nigeria
in the league of countries with such facilities, thereby removing the
shame and embarrassment the country and its people have suffered
all these years as a result of recurrent fuel scarcity.
Alhaji Dangote further said the target is that in five years-time,
half of Nigeria’s crude oil will be refined and exported rather than
exporting crude that creates jobs elsewhere.
What a wonderful prospect for
Nigeria to join the league of
countries exporting refined
petroleum products.
The project has
been described as an
incredible industrial
undertaking, possibly,
the largest and
most ambitious
on the continent;
truly inspiring. It
is yet to be seen
if the 2019 completion
date is
feasible looking at
the pace of work in
the project.
4 | www.ekocitymagazine.com Aug., - Sept., 2017 Aug., - Sept., 2017
www.ekocitymagazine.com | 5

BUSINESS NEWS
Napoleon Agbelogode:
Napmantronix is taking small
steps towards a global concept
BUSINESS NEWS
Napoleon Agbelogode, the Chairman of Napmantronix is an automobile enthusiast and passionate professional
who believe in taking one step at a time towards achieving success in any endeavour. In this exclusive chat with
Ekocity Magazine editorial crew, Napman as he is fondly called who has put in twenty five years in the Oil and Gas
sector of the Nigerian economy and still counting took us down memory lane on how Napmantronix was conceptualized.
How it all started:
Napmantronix is primarily a Supply Chain
Management company with an arm of its
supply chain activities being FLEET MAN-
AGEMENT and total AUTOMOBILE Maintenance…
Napmantronix also supplies COLD
CUTTING and GRINDING TOOLS to the Oil
and Gas sector in Nigeria and the West African
Sub-region. We are currently responsible
for the Topside Rust Protection using
our Cold Cutting and Grinding Tools for the
FPSO KWAME NKRUMA in Ghana on behalf
of MODEC Ghana.
Napmantronix also carries out cathodic
protection and engineering services as well.
The name Napmantronix was conceived
at University of Lagos (UniLag) where I
obtained a 1st degree in applied Physics,
majoring in ELECTRONICS. While in UniLag
(’85 to ’90), I was very hands on with electronic
gadgets, and before you knew it, I was
known on campus as Napman the Man Electronics
which later metamorphosed to Napmantronix.
As such when I left UniLag and
could afford to register a company, what
better name than that which would be easily
remembered by school mates and luckily
the name was available at CAC and voila,
that’s how the name came to be a Limited
Liability company today. The Automobile
maintenance arm of Napmantronix is born
out of the fact that I grew up in a workshop
environment in the 60’s as my dad Paul Agbelogode
was an OUTBOARD Engine Expert
technician, as such I leant to get my hands
dirty early. From Edo College, through Uni-
Lag till today, I cannot get my hands off
CARS or AUTOMOBILES; I buy then, Drive
them, Sell them, and now fix them. Our Slogan
at Napmantronix is that “if you drive it,
Napmantronix will fix it and that is a promise”
Napmantronix plaza is currently built
on 93,000 square feet of Prime Real Estate
on the Lekki New business corridor, packed
with all the latest gadgets, equipment and
diagnostics tools that would enable us handle
practically any, mechanical, Electrical
and Electronic challenge you would have
with your Automobile.
Challenges:
My resolve to stay motivated and focused is
so huge that the alternative does not exist.
When I came here, I had no neighbours and
you can imagine what this area looks like
ten years ago. I didn’t quit at the time and
I’m not ready to quit now because I’ve read
and learnt from the sages.
The beauty of this concept is that we are
not in a 100M sprint, rather it is a marathon
and I believe that the impact of this facility
will be felt more when the proposed Dangote
refinery and the Free Trade Zone be-
comes functional. Our biggest challenge is
lack of electricity supply from the National
grid, we currently generate our own electricity
at Napmantronix with Generators and
SOLAR Power to the tune of 17,500 Watts
daily from Solar Alone, this has been a major
capital investment in Solar power infrastructure,
just to keep us going and reduce our
overall cost of doing business.
Global concept:
Before I opened this place, I travelled globally
visiting workshops in the UK, USA, and
Germany and saw a couple of medium sized
workshops. So, for three years, I was putting
workshop information together. Our workshop
was designed by Rigid Engineering in
Houston. Interestingly everything you see
here was brought in from the states as we
did the foundation waiting for the building
to arrive and this is what we have. We have
automated all our operations that you can
book online for your vehicle maintenance;
for example, when you visit our facility, the
lifts in our workshop will either be red or
blue. Blue means they are free, while red
means busy. With this, you can actually
determine when to bring your vehicle for
maintenance in real time.
Unique factors that stand your outfit out
of the competition:
Our reception is unique in the sense that our
workshop is the only one in Lagos that you
can see the workshop from the reception.
The idea is that while you are at the reception,
you can actually monitor the progress
of your vehicle maintenance without getting
up from your chair. The beauty of the
whole stuff is that the engineers will not see
you while you are seeing them clearly and
if you notice anything untoward, you can
raise alarm. Directly on top of the reception
is the warehouse where sensitive automobile
spare parts are kept from OEM.
Going forward:
To the uninitiated, the workshop ends here,
but hell no, we actually have another land
behind the workshop overlooking the next
street, where we plan to put a thirty room
hotel facility with a swimming pool and
all of that. The hotel can be accessed from
anywhere in the workshop or the adjoining
street. The whole concept is to have a
one stop facility that will take care of your
hospitality needs, Restaurant, Car Wash,
Sports Bar, Conference and training needs,
Events centre as well as providing automobile
solutions to residents of Ibeju Lekki.
In addition to that, we also operate a boutique
“maramax Place” to take care of your
fashion needs. In the next couple of years,
we are going to start the construction of a
Hotel facility that will be second to none in
this axis and introduction of Car auction is
equally slated in our future plans. It is a futuristic
concept that we intend to take one
at a time to get the desired result.
The issue of insecurity has been at the
front burner, are you satisfied with the way
the issue is being handled? Nobody is happy
with the level of insecurity in the country especially
the issue of kidnapping for ransom
in this axis. The government of Lagos state
has done relatively well in this regard, but
there’s always room for improvement. It is
gratifying to note that the security agencies
are waking up to their responsibilities as
evidenced by the successes recorded in the
recent past. The security personnel should
buckle up a little bit more and be proactive
in their operations. It is important to note
that the issue of insecurity has adversely affected
the business circle as nobody is ready
to invest in an insecure environment.
What can be done to get it right in Nigeria?
The hurdles we face as business people in
Nigeria are quite unnecessary. In all the
countries of the world, what you will labour
for is the idea, once you have the idea, the
government will encourage and support
you. The government should try as much as
possible to develop the culture of supporting
people with great ideas. If we cultivate
this culture, I assure you that in no distant
time we will get it right. The design concept
of our governance style is structured
towards failure and the percentage rate of
our patriotism is very low. The only way to
get it right is for us to be more patriotic and
committed to the Nigerian cause and this
country will be a better place.
6 | www.ekocitymagazine.com Aug., - Sept., 2017 Aug., - Sept., 2017
www.ekocitymagazine.com | 7

INTERVIEW
All Iron And Steel Must Obey Our
Instruction - Prince R. Odubanjo
eal HABITATS LTD.
Chief R. Odubanjo, the CEO of R. Odubanjo Steel Works Limited is a man that rose from a humble background
to an enviable height in business. In this interview, he attributes his success to a number of factors including diligence,
perseverance, honesty and above all hard work.
What influenced your choice of business?
My elder brother was into welding and allied activities and that
made me to develop interest in the trade from childhood. As a
young person, I made up my mind to learn a trade and naturally
welding was the preferred choice. My brother brought me to Lagos
from my small village to learn the trade and to the glory of God,
since I took that decision till today; I’ve had no regrets towing this
path.
How long did it take you to learn the trade?
I was with my brother for six good years learning the trade as an
apprentice. Upon my freedom, I worked with him for some years before
his demise. It was when he died that I realized what awaits me
because he had eight children with two wives. The burden of taking
care of his family fell on me, but the Grace of God saw us through
amidst difficult and life threatening challenges that we had to go
through. I even had to reject an offer of travelling abroad because I
was afraid of what will be the plight of the children he left behind.
Despite the challenges, I took the business from a humble beginning
to the enviable height it now occupies.
What has been the most challenging experience in running this
business?
The biggest challenge that we face as entrepreneurs is getting the
right human capital as most employees in Nigeria do not work with
their minds. If you can get 20% of your employees to be committed,
they will in turn motivate the remaining 80% but unfortunately you
can hardly get 15%. Getting the right human capital has been the
greatest challenge because most people are no longer interested
in delayed gratification. Funding is also a challenge, what we did
was that when we started, we relied on personal funds as the banks
are not ready to give facility to start ups. We were able to overcome
the challenge of funding by creating strong partnerships that was
of great benefit to us.
What are the critical factors for Business success in Nigeria?
Passion is vital to the success of every enterprise. You also need to
have an in-depth knowledge of the type of business you want to
do. You can equally attend seminars to brush up your knowledge
about the global business environment. Critical success factors are
both internal and external, because to operate a business you need
a lot of perseverance, resilience and determination because of the
many high priority issues. Leadership especially, must be focused,
visionary and passionate about achieving excellence. The quality of
human resource is also a key competitive advantage and for us, we
only engage the best people and I’m blessed to be supported by an
excellent team.
What are the unique factors that stand your organisation out of
the competition?
Our products are of the highest quality and can compete globally. R.
Odubanjo Steel Works Ltd strongly believes in customers’ satisfaction
and that is why we are keen on high-tech and development,
quality materials, finishing and expert engineering design. We take
time to do routine checkup of our clients and offer quick response
if need arises and our works are strongly backed by standby generator/plants
for prompt delivery. We believe that a trial visit to our
company will definitely convince you. The need for a team of highly
experienced, motivated and dedicated staff prompted the maintenance
of our team of qualified engineers in the field of Design and
steel structural works. All iron and steel, no matter the thickness
must obey our instruction. This earned us the appellation - IRON
MUST SURRENDER. Our equipment ranges from the steel guillotine
which is both electrically and hydraulically operated, Rolling machine,
Bending machines, Angle Cutting machine and Hole Punching
machines and various Arc Welding machines, Power Drilling
machines and Circular Bending machines respectively.
How do you manage the apprentice?
The challenge of getting apprentice who will be patient enough to
stay is disturbing. Most young people are not patient these days to
learn a trade. Some will come here and after learning how to weld,
will claim to have known the work and go out and end up as quarks.
The few who are patient to go through our tutelage can compete
favourably with their counterparts anywhere in the world.
What drives you?
I derive my inspiration from God and nothing else.
8 | www.ekocitymagazine.com Aug., - Sept., 2017 Aug., - Sept., 2017
www.ekocitymagazine.com | 9

10 | www.ekocitymagazine.com Aug., - Sept., 2017 Aug., - Sept., 2017
www.ekocitymagazine.com | 11

SECURITY
The menace of Badoo cult
groups in Ikorodu
The activities of Badoo cult group in
Ikorodu area of Lagos state has become
a source of worry to security
agencies and the state government.
Residents of the area have always lived in
fear as fallout of the activities of this terror
group. Just when people think they are being
contained, they’ll unleash a fresh orgy of
violence that sends shivers down the spines
of residents of the area. Many residents of
the area now live in palpable fear as no one
is sure when or where next they will strike.
Just recently, residents of Ibeshe-Ikorodu
were once again thrown into grief and sorrow
as another Badoo attack took place at
Oke-Ota in Ibeshe-Ikorodu, where a family of
five was cruelly attacked in their sleep, leaving
four dead and one battling for her life in
an undisclosed hospital. Despite several assurances
from various security agencies in
the state, this recent attack has shown that
the group is not relenting and has no intention
of stopping their terror attacks.
A visit to the town of Ibeshe recently
showed a town that has been deserted
by its residents out of fear of the dreaded
group. The once commercial town has become
a shadow of its old self as the few
people still remaining there are people that
cannot afford to move out of the place. Most
of the few residents encountered wore long
faces as it was obvious that the continuous
ritualistic murders have taken its toll
on businesses and lifestyle in general. An
anonymous resident living close to where
the recent attack took place, said she was
confused on what to do next because they
have relaxed with the feeling that the menace
has died down but were mistaken going
by the recent attack by the group. Many
people have even put their house up for sale
but unfortunately, buyers are nowhere to be
found as most prospective buyers back out
the moment they hear the property is in
Ibeshe, Ikorodu.
Community policing has been identified
as the way forward as everyone needs
to get involved in nipping the menace in
the bud. Stakeholders in the community
believe that you cannot leave policing for
the police alone as everyone needs to get
involved. The police cannot be everywhere
at the same time but have to rely on people
to help by giving credible information.
The impact of the newly constituted Lagos
Neighbourhood and Safety Corp is yet to be
felt in all of this.
As fallout of the resurgence of the deadly
acts by the Badoo gang, the Lagos Police
Command has uncovered a deadly shrine
been patronised by the group. Acting on a
tip off, a team of crack detectives stormed
the shrine, located at the outskirts of Ikorodu
Town arresting a business man, Alhaji Alaka
Abayomi, over ownership of the shrine,
alongside three other suspects, whose identities
were yet-to-be ascertained.
Meanwhile, hundreds of women from
Ibeshe, Ikorodu, recently embarked on a
peaceful protest to the palace of two royal
fathers, the Onibeshe of Ibeshe land, Oba
Richard Ogunsanya and the Ayangburen of
Ikorodu Oba Kabiru Shotobi over the incessant
killings by the terror gang, Badoo. They
sought for the royal father’s intervention
in finding a lasting solution to the crisis as
commercial activities has been put to a halt
as result of the killer group.
The worst scenario in the whole set up is
the extra judicial killing of unfortunate people
suspected to be badoo members. For
example, for every little incident, people will
shout badoo and that alone is driving fear
into the spines of everyone.
Lagos electrifies
dark spots to boost
security
The Lagos State Ministry of Energy
and Mineral Resources has commenced
the electrification of dark
spots and installation of Street Lights
as part of concerted efforts to illuminate
the nooks and crannies within
the metropolis as well as improve the
security situation in Lagos.
Commissioner for Energy and Mineral
Resources, Hon. Adewale Oluwo,
who disclosed this at a meeting with
stakeholders at Alausa recently, explained
that the project was being
expanded with a view to deter hoodlums
and miscreants from using dark
and lonely spots to perpetrate vices and unwholesome practices at night.
He said the street lighting exercise has not only become the most visible to the citizenry,
but has also become accepted and applauded by all and sundry, given its positive
contributions to businesses as well as employment generation in the State.
According to the Commissioner, many communities which hitherto had been without
functional electricity have been successfully connected, adding that major and inner
roads, pedestrian walkways and underneath bridges in various parts of Lagos have been
lit within the last twelve months.
In his words, “The State Government embarked on the management and illumination
of all streets and major roads within Lagos irrespective of ownership through his Ministry,
in order to ensure uniformity of standard, excellent service delivery, holistic and sustainable
approach to monitoring and maintaining of installations”. He stated that some of
the street lights had to be connected to the Independent Power Plants at Alausa, Lagos
Mainland and Lekki to save cost.
Tips on how to avoid or
escape kidnap
Erase the notion that you can’t be kidnapped;
over-confidence had made a lot to
fall victims of kidnappers, when you develop
the euphoric attitude that nothing can happen,
that is when you become a victim, you
must always be cautious and vigilant.
Avoid Isolation; an isolated target is easier
to kidnap than when in group, avoid walking
on a lonely road alone and if you must
trail the road, make sure it’s in the company
of trusted people. Hostage takers would
need to work extra hard to kidnap members
of a group.
Personal Evaluation; this is very important
especially when in a new environment, personal
evaluation of who you are, your destination,
and how others might perceive
your person when you get there can make
a huge difference. Keep a low profile and
dress modestly, flashy cloths and expensive
jewelries that will naturally draw unnecessary
attention to you is not advisable. Try
blending with others as quick as possible
and when offended, avoid threatening or
offensive comments.
Caution Alcohol Intake; kidnappers will
break no sweat in capturing a drunk potential
victim; avoid getting intoxicated when
at bars or clubs or restaurants if at all you
must patronize. The effects of alcohol can
draw unnecessary attention to you and
even make you less alert to your surroundings.
In addition, don’t accept drinks, cigarettes,
gums, or food from anyone you are
not familiar with.
Avoid Repeated Pattern of Activities;
avoid repeated routines at the same time
every day so as not to become predictable.
Frequently visited locations should be
routed differently, avoid eating at the same
restaurant at a particular time of the day,
consider changing hotels, avoid walking
straight to your house if you notice some irregularities.
Careful of Transportation; take buses and
taxis at legitimate parks and avoid taxis with
passenger(s) already in the car as this could
be a tricky conspiracy. Avoid trips to rural
and unfamiliar areas if new to the environment,
and if compulsory, don’t go alone
and inform trusted friends, relatives, or colleague
about your where about and when
expected to return.
Be Swift and Smart, Not Scared or Timid;
when confronted with a potential predator,
immediately your response shows that
you are scared or timid then your actions
become predictable, and that is exactly how
they predicted you to be, but when you
play smart, you would become unpredictable.
You need to know that all rules have
changed when confronted, so you can do
anything to secure your safety and also do
SECURITY
kidnapping for ransom has come to stay in Nigeria in view of the frequency of its occurrence in almost all states of
the federation. Staying safe and secured becomes difficult once perceived to have political influence, or wealth or
ties to some recognized western organizations or groups. The same fate applies to business travelers, significant
government contractors, faith-based organizations and some well-known non-profit workers. These people are
target to kidnappers who hold them to ransom and demand huge amounts of money for their buyback. The tragic
part is that some kidnapped victims are been killed if no concrete agreements was reached between the kidnappers
and their negotiator while some end up spending several years in hostility. The candid fact is that nothing can
totally eliminate risk of being kidnapped but here are some tips on how to avoid or escape kidnap.
anything to get attention; break bottles,
scream hard, break glasses, throw chairs,
stone or anything just to get attention.
Use of Cell Phone; let your cell phones work
for you and not against you, there are dos
and don’ts as regards cell phones especially
when in a new environment. Don’t get too
engulfed interacting with your phone at the
expense of happenings around you, don’t
wear headphones if not familiar with the
place. Alert the authority if you notice any
irregularities within your environment, so as
to maintain orderliness.
If all these tips on how to avoid or escape
kidnap are strictly adhered to, your safety to
a large extent is guaranteed, knowing that
nothing can totally eliminate risk of being
kidnapped as we have said hitherto.
12 | www.ekocitymagazine.com Aug., - Sept., 2017 Aug., - Sept., 2017
www.ekocitymagazine.com | 13

URBAN DEVELOPMENT
2 million volunteers to campaign
against sexual violence in Lagos
Cleaner Lagos Initiative
to kickoff September
ENVIRONMENT
The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team
(DSVRT) has begun an intensified six-month campaign against all
forms of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in the State with
a target to reach out to two million residents to lead the crusade
against the menace.
Coordinator of DSVRT, Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi who disclosed this
during a training session for Media Practitioners on Best Practices for Investigating
and Reporting Sexual and Gender Based Violence cases, said
the development was in a bid to ensure that no community is left behind
in the fight against all forms of SGBV.
According to her, the DSVRT would be embarking on intensive sensitisation
campaigns at communities like Fagba, Ajuwon, Surulere, Ikeja,
Kosofe, Ikorodu, Iwaya, Epe, Badagry, Onike, Ijanikin, Ojo, Idimu, Lagos Island,
Alimosho and Agege. She also said that inner communities in Badore,
Sangotedo, OkeYaya, Owutu would also not be left out of the intensive
campaign to reach out to at least two million Lagosians.
“The campaign will be conducted through door-to-door canvassing, engagement
of children in schools, town hall meetings, and market rallies,
engagement at religious gatherings, and visitation to salons.“There would
also be an extensive media outreach through Billboards, radio and television
jingles in English, pidgin and other indigenous languages,” Vivour-
Adeniyi said.
The DSVRT Coordinator also said that the Team would ensure that relevant
details on Domestic Violence prevention are distributed through Local
Governments and Marriage Registries to intending couples. She said
the aim of the six months intensive campaign is to drive increased awareness
within the populace, improve on coordination of response and more
effective prosecution of cases with better witness corroboration, and ultimately
a reduction in the number of SGBV cases within the State.
THE CAMPAIGN WILL BE
CONDUCTED THROUGH
DOOR-TO-DOOR
CANVASSING, ENGAGEMENT
OF CHILDREN IN SCHOOLS,
TOWN HALL MEETINGS, AND
MARKET RALLIES,
ENGAGEMENT AT RELIGIOUS
GATHERINGS, AND
VISITATION TO SALONS.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi
Ambode, has urged Lagosians to be
patient with his administration as the
Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI) commences
in September 2017 to comprehensively
deal with the issue of waste management
in the State.
Speaking at a Town Hall Meeting in Lagos,
Ambode said once the initiative is fully
operational, waste would be collected in
line with international best practices, while
all parts of the State would be kept clean
always.
The Governor however urged residents
to adopt new attitude to disposing waste
and desist from dumping in drainages and
canals, assuring that the Government would
provide adequate bins to discourage indiscriminate
dumping.
“The question to ask is why are people
putting their waste in the drains and canals
hoping that somehow the water will flush
it away? The answer comes back to government
because we have not been able
to provide the people with enough bins or
places where they can put the dirt.
“They cannot leave the dirt in the house
so they must have a channel to get it out.
If government has been able to provide
enough locations, bins, bags and so on
where they can put that refuse and then
we can collect it and when we collect it efficiently,
as part of their attitude, they will not
go back to the canals and the drains. They
will only go back to where we have provided
for them.
“Now, do we have enough equipment to
clean Lagos? Do we have enough bins, plastic
bags, compactors that can go round the
population of 22million people? The answer
before now is no. We are the largest waste
producer in the world more than New York.
New York produces 10,000 tonnes of waste
every day; the waste accounted for in Lagos
is 13,000 tonnes per day not to talk of areas
that are not documented”.
“Do we have enough equipment and
compactors? We don’t have, but how do we
have it? We have not increased the taxes you
are paying. The population is increasing and
by that fact the waste is increasing and we
have not increased revenue. But we need
new equipment. Some people were doing it
for us before but we all saw the equipment
they have been using to clean up the State
and the truth is it can never do it right.
“If we say we want to be a smart city
and globally competitive, we must use the
approach that allows you to collect waste
in a globally competitive way and that is
what we have done with the CLI without me
punishing tax payers. We have a partnership
that provides 500 brand new compactors
without me paying one naira yet and
with the partnership, we will provide 27,500
sanitation workers in all our wards across
the State who will be uniformed and clean
Ikorodu, Ayobo the same way they clean
Victoria Island. Waste bins will also be provided
where our people can now have the
culture and attitude to put their dirt in the
bins instead of putting it in the canals and
drains,” Governor Ambode said.
In the meantime, Governor Ambode
said all the 20 Local Government and 37
Local Council Development Chairmen have
been mandated to ensure 24/7 cleaning of
the environment, while officials of the State
Government would be moving round to
evacuate waste.
Lagos assures implementation
of Ikeja Model City Master Plan
– Steve Ayorinde
The Lagos State Government on Sunday
restated its determination to actualize the
objectives of the renewed Ikeja Model City
Master Plan in order to address infrastructural
challenges in the capital city. The Commissioner
for Information and Strategy in
Lagos State, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, said Governor
Akinwunmi Ambode is desirous of making
Ikeja a model city and would leave no
stone unturned in actualizing the relocation
of the Computer Village to the new site in
Katangowa, AgbadoOke-Odo Local Council
Development Area in line with the reviewed
Master Plan.
Ayorinde said the Ikeja Model City Master
Plan designated the present Computer
Village for residential use and that the government
will adhere to the plans to make
the area more organized, serene and habitable.
He explained that the State Government
has not issued any permit to any individual
or organization for the construction
of an ICT specialized mall directly beside
the newly built Ikeja Bus Terminal, adding
that such move does not tally with the State
Government’s plan for the capital city.
The Commissioner said that as a sign of
the state government’s genuine commitment
to the relocation of the Computer Village
from Ikeja to Katangowa, the take-off of
the Katangowa project is already in its final
stage of implementation. He disclosed that
the government had met with the Executive
members of Computer and Allied Products
Dealers Association of Nigeria (CAPDAN)
where it (the government) reiterated its
commitment to the relocation plan. He further
urged the general public to disregard
any insinuation that might be suggesting
the possibility of a spurious ICT mall in Ikeja.
14 | www.ekocitymagazine.com Aug., - Sept., 2017 Aug., - Sept., 2017
www.ekocitymagazine.com | 15

POLITICS
16 | www.ekocitymagazine.com Aug., - Sept., 2017 Aug., - Sept., 2017
Hon. Saheed Bankole, Executive Chairman, Eti-Osa Local Government Area and his Vice, Alimot Adetoro
when they visited the palace of Elegushi of Ikate to solicit for votes..
How APC swept
Lagos polls
WE ARE NOT
SURPRISED BY THE
RESULT WE GOT
BECAUSE WE
CAMPAIGNED AS IF
THERE WAS A
FORMIDABLE
OPPONENT IN PLACE.
I AM NOT SURPRISED
WE WON ALL THE
SEATS BECAUSE
THE PDP WAS STILL
FIGHTING WITHIN
THEMSELVES WHEN
WE WERE PREPARING
FOR THE ELECTION
AND PUTTING OUR
HOUSE IN ORDER. IN
FACT, 24 HOURS TO
THE ELECTION THERE
WAS STILL
CONFUSION IN THE
OPPOSITION CAMP.
True to their earlier boastful posture
before the local government elections
in Lagos state, the All Progressives
Congress (APC) has swept the
July 22 council election across the 20 local
government areas and 37 Local Council Development
Areas (LCDA) in the State.
The Lagos State Independent Electoral
Commission (LASIEC) in releasing the official
results of the elections into the 20 local
government areas and 37 Local Council
Development Areas (LCDA) of the state announced
that the All Progressive Congress
(APC) won all the chairmanship seats across
the state.
APC would have won a total victory but
for the seven councillorship seats lost to
PDP and Accord Party. It would be recalled
that Lagos state Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode,
had earlier boasted that the APC will
have “a clean sweep” in the 20 local government
council and 37 local council development
areas even before the official results
were released.
Many expected the All Progressives Congress
to have a tough time during the local
government elections in Lagos given the
feud and violence which characterised the
party’s primaries. But this was not so as the
party had an easy ride to success going by
the election results.
It was indeed a big victory for the ruling
party and to many of them, including the
likes of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode; former
Lagos State governor and APC national
leader, Senator Bola Tinubu; the state APC
chairman, Chief Henry Ajomole; former APC
Publicity Secretary, Mr. Joe Igbokwe and a
host of others as the victory is well deserved.
Earlier while presenting the party candidates
with flags, Ajomole, the State Party
Chairman boasted that nothing was going
to stop the party from winning all the elective
offices as a gift for the duo of Tinubu
and Ambode.“Nothing is going to stop us.
By the grace of God we are going to win the
elections. Get ready and use your available
opportunities and your leadership roles to
win for our candidates and we know, for His
Excellency the governor and Asiwaju Bola
Tinubu our leader, we must win the elections
as a gift to both of them. I said it before,
we are going to give the governor the
whole package, the total package, all the
councillors, all the chairmen are going to be
handed over to the governor,” Ajomole said
with assurance.
Going by Joe Igbokwe’s calculations, what
fetched the ruling party the landslide victory
was simply because the party prepared
ahead by campaigning well. Secondly, the
seemingly intractable fracas within the leadership
of the opposition PDP at the state level
also prevented the party from working as
a team. “We are not surprised by the result
we got because we campaigned as if there
was a formidable opponent in place. I am
not surprised we won all the seats because
the PDP was still fighting within themselves
when we were preparing for the election
and putting our house in order. In fact, 24
hours to the election there was still confusion
in the opposition camp.”
When addressing the party’s candidates
few days before the election, Ambode appealed
to aggrieved party members to put
aside their discontentment and ensure that
the party succeed at the election, stressing
that the ruling party was capable of making
amends by giving appointments to the aggrieved.
“All the things that we have done wrong,
I want to say sorry. I want to appeal to all
members of the party. If we break the house,
there would be no further canopy. So it’s
better to call the plumber, the bricklayer,
the electrician to come and do repair works,
so that there would be somewhere for us
to lay our head and sleep.“I know a lot of
misgivings had taken place, but what is important
is for us to build the house together,
thereafter we can do aesthetics to the windows
and the doors so that those who are
standing would be able to sit. Wherever it is
that we have had cracks, there are still more
than a 1001 positions to compensate,” Ambode
pleaded.
Though there were reported cases of
violence in some areas as well as low turnout
of voters due to the heavy downpour
on the election date, there is no indication
that LASIEC is considering cancelling any of
the elections. In fact, Ambode had already
sworn-in the newly elected chairmen, and
by that action, anyone with strong argument
against the conduct of the election
has only one option left: go to court.
www.ekocitymagazine.com | 17

ETI-OSA
JOURNAL
Publication of Ekocity Media for Eti-Osa Local Government
Lagos has become
a model for other
states to emulate
– Ojomu of
Ajiran Land
I am strongly
committed to
integrated rural
development
says Saheed Bankole
Our focus is to
transform
Eti-Osa East
Local Council
Development
Area (LCDA)
- Hon. Rafiu
Olatunji
Olufunmi
18 | www.ekocitymagazine.com Aug., - Sept., 2017
Local Government
Administration should
be strengthened for
accelerated rural
development
says Oba Saheed
Traders
charged on
environmental
sanitation

ETI-OSA JOURNAL
I am strongly
committed to
integrated rural
development
says Saheed
Bankole
Hon. Saheed Arisegun Bankole, the newly elected chairman
of Eti-Osa local government of Lagos State under
the platform of All Progressive Conference spoke to
Ekocity Magazine during his campaigns. He made some
promises of which we will hold him accountable. Here
are the excerpts.
What is the essence of this visit to traditional rulers in Eti-osa?
It’s our tradition and style whenever we want to flag off our campaign,
be it local government or general elections; we first of all visit
our royal fathers to get their royal blessings as well as a sign of respect.
We were able to visit the Ojomu of Ajiran and the Elegushi of
Ikate Land. You were there and you saw that they gave us their royal
blessing and on our own part we will not relent on the promises
made at their palace as I’m committed to rural development. The
outing was generally successful and we thank God for all his mercies.
Could you share some of your campaign promises?
It might interest you to know that the local government as the third
tier of government is the closest to the people that majority of people
look up to. Eti-Osa local government is dynamic in nature in the
sense that we have so many emerging and rural communities in the
local government. What we intend to do is to connect most of the
rural communities with the massive infrastructural revitalization in
Lagos state as well as regularly maintain existing infrastructures.
I intend to promote functional education as well as make it possible
for easy accessibility to qualitative heath care delivery. Above
all, integrated rural development is my basic priority. For example,
many of the communities in this local government are yet to be connected
to the national grid while some of the transformers are overloaded
leading to interruptions; but thank God that the Lagos state
government led by Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has put in place a good
initiative to ensure that most rural areas in Lagos are electrified.
The major challenge that the people here experience is flooding,
how do you intend to tackle the menace? You are correct to point
out that the biggest challenge that the people of Eti-Osa encounter
is lack of proper drainage system which usually lead to flooding in
the area.
Our community was the worst hit in the last flooding experienced
in most parts of Lagos recently, what we did was to form committees
to be able to reach all the nooks and crannies of the area to develop
a working plan to open up the canals in the area for easy flow
of water. Thankfully, the sole administrator through the effort of the
state government has been able to move some of the excavator and
they did a marvelous job in the process. If not for the efforts of the
state government, we wouldn’t have been able to move around because
the whole area was flooded.
What do you think government can do to make local government
more functional?
Interestingly, the local government is actually doing its best to take
government closer to the people. The Community Development Associations
can be encouraged and given grants to do self-help projects
or build projects that are of priority to them. With the current
ban by Lagos state of using schools for parties will galvanise some
of the communities into building event halls in their various locality.
If majority of our communities can build town halls, these town
halls beyond being used for parties will equally act as a revenue
earner for the communities. With such revenues in their kitty, the
community development association could deploy them towards
resurfacing their roads when need be without necessarily waiting
for government.
Would you say the impact of local government administration
has been felt by the people at the grassroots especially in Lagos
State? Without fear of contradiction, I would tell you that the full
impact of local administration is being felt in the rural areas in Lagos
State. The various collaborative projects between the state and
the local government as it have made the third tier of government
more functional. Interestingly, the governor of Lagos state, His Excellency,
Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has made it mandatory that each
local government must embark on two major road constructions on
a constant basis and this has opened up some rural communities.
ETI-OSA JOURNAL
Local Government Administration
should be strengthened for
accelerated rural development
says Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi
(Kusenla III), the Elegushi of Ikateland
Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi (Kusenla III), the youngest traditional ruler in Lagos State has brought dynamism
and forthrightness in administering his kingdom. Nnamdi Nwokolo and Abiodun Fawumi had a chance encounter
with the youthful king during a courtesy call to his palace by the Executive Chairman of Eti-Osa Local Government,
Hon. Saheed Bankole during the campaigns.
What advise will you give these people?
You’ll agree with me that most of these politicians
when they are soliciting for votes can make impossible
promises, but the moment they win elections, it
will be very hard to even see them not to talk of fulfilling
their promises. My sincere advice to them is to always
know that power is ephemeral, so they must be
straightforward and strive to fulfill some of their promises.
I’ll also advise them not to abandon the people
that put them in power and also have the fear of God
in the discharge of their lawful duties.
Would you say the impact of local government administration
has been felt in Lagos state?
When you look at Lagos state, I can tell you that the
impact of local government administration has been
felt by people at the grassroots but it can always get
better. I think the government should support them
more so that development at the rural areas will be
accelerated. The local government is the third tier of
government that is closest to the people, so there’s
a lot to be done and with the right support from the
state government, the impact will be felt much as a lot
of things are lacking that they need to tidy up at the
grass root level.
Your domain was recently flooded, what can be
done to avert future occurrence?
Lagos is some meters below the sea level, so there’s
nothing anybody can do about that. There’s need
for all tiers of government to put heads together and
open up the drainages. The people also have an obligation
not to dump their waste in the drainages as the
synergy between the government and the people will
definitely avert future occurrence. The building approving
authority should also make sure that people
don’t build houses on water ways as all these factors
contributed in no small measure to the recent flooding
in some parts of Lagos state.
What has been your biggest challenge since you assumed
the throne in view of the cosmopolitan nature
of your domain? It will interest you to know that this axis is
called the new Lagos as everybody wants to move to Eti-Osa and
Lekki corridor. The reason why you see this massive influx of people
here is simply because Eti-Osa people are very open and accommodating
set of people. We accommodate strangers a lot provided
they obey the tradition and laws of the land.
20 | www.ekocitymagazine.com Aug., - Sept., 2017 Aug., - Sept., 2017
www.ekocitymagazine.com | 21

ETI-OSA JOURNAL
ETI-OSA JOURNAL
Lagos has become
a model for other
states to emulate –
Ojomu of Ajiran Land
Oba Tijani Akinloye is one traditional ruler in Lagos State that is committed
to the development of his kingdom. The jovial, generous and articulate King
has continued to remain in touch in with his roots and his people having
ruled his subjects for 22 years as Ojomu of Ajiran Land - the foremost traditional
ruler in the Lekki area of Lagos State. Nnamdi Nwokolo and Abiodun
Fawumi had a chance encounter with the King during a courtesy call to his
palace by the Executive Chairman of Eti-Osa Local Government, Hon. Saheed
Bankole during the campaigns. Excerpts.
The Candidate of the APC for the Chairmanship
of Eti-Osa Local government
came to pay homage to you, what is your
advice to him and his team?
My sincere advice to them is to be careful,
play by the rules and straightforward. We
have discovered over the years that when
politicians are canvasing for votes, they
make unrealistic promises to sway the people
to vote for them. First of all, they should
not make promises they know they cannot
fulfill. You’ll agree with me that the local
government is the closest to the people
and a lot is being expected of them in terms
of dividends of democracy, so they should
strive and make their impact to be felt if
they are elected. Above all, I wish them all
the best in their political journey.
Would you say the impact of local government
has been felt at the grassroot level?
The role of the local government is clearly
spelt out in the constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria. If for any reason they
are not living up to their expectations, it is
the duty of the government to checkmate
them to make sure they deliver. Having said
that, I think the Federal government needs
to do more for the third tier of government,
to make governance felt by the people. Lagos
state is a model to all the states of the
federation as the local government is doing
their best but there is always room for improvement.
What is the role of traditional institution
to ensuring good governance?
The traditional rulers play an advisory role to
ensure good governance and as many people
may misconstrue, playing an advisory
role does not necessarily mean dragging
royal fathers into politics.
I think it will not be out of place to make
constitutional provisions for the traditional
rulers, so that they can make positive contributions
that will ensure good governance.
Governance is about people and because
we are the custodians of the people’s culture,
we should be allowed to make contributions
that will be binding to the three
tiers of government. Beyond all this, we
have remained nonpartisan to be able to
ensure that there is peace, tranquility and
cooperation to move the kingdom to the
next level.
Bankole tasks Eti-Osa residents
on Proper Disposal of Refuse
Honourable Saheed Bankole, the newly sworn in Chairman of Eti-Osa Local Government Area has tasked residents
of Eti-Osa on the need to avoid indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the area.
The Chairman made this known during
the launch of Operation Zero
Tolerance for Refuse in Eti Osa local
Government Area, reiterating the
State Government’s Zero Tolerance for Refuse
and Environmental abuse especially
indiscriminate refuse dumping, drainage
blockage and construction on waterways.
He disclosed that all the Local Governments
Areas in Lagos State have keyed
into the laudable programme of His Excellency,
Governor Akinwunmi for effective
environmental cleanliness. Hon. Bankole
said since indiscriminate refuse dumping,
drainage blockage and construction on
waterways are no doubt inimical to our
health and could lead to flood disaster, it
becomes imperative for all hands to be on
deck to check the menace.
The Chairman who was accompanied
by his vice chairman Hon. Omooba Adeola
ADETORO, Councillors, Management of
CDA/CDC and some environmental officers marched out to Gbara
and Lekki road area to observe the environmental sanitation, stating
that the purpose of the exercise is to ensure cleaner environment in
other to prevent outbreak of diseases such as LASSA fever, cholera
and so on.
He therefore pleaded with the Iya Oloja and Baba Oloja of Jakande
market to ensure that no market activities is allowed on the
walkways as it contributes to environmental pollution. He urged
residents to desist from dumping refuse in the drainage emphasizing
that Eti Osa is naturally below the coastal level and flood should
be averted in all ramifications, promising that the exercise will be a
continuous process in all the wards of the Local Government.
22 | www.ekocitymagazine.com Aug., - Sept., 2017 Aug., - Sept., 2017
www.ekocitymagazine.com | 23

ETI-OSA JOURNAL
ETI-OSA JOURNAL
Our focus is to transform Eti-Osa
East Local Council Development
Area (LCDA)
- Hon. Rafiu Olatunji Olufunmi
Hon. Rafiu Olatunji Olufunmi, the Executive Chairman of Eti-Osa East Local Council Development Area (LCDA) is a
resourceful and dynamic leader whose interest is to leave the council better than he met it. Ekocity crew had an
interview with him on the sidelines at the launching of “Operation no refuse” in Ajah Market. Excerpts;
Congratulations on your swearing in as
the Executive Chairman of Eti-Osa East
LCDA
Thank you very much.
What prompted this exercise?
During the electioneering campaigns, part
of what I promised the people of Eti-Osa
East LCDA is to promote a conducive and
clean environment devoid of pollution and
refuse. You’ll agree with me that the Governor
of Lagos state, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode
is very hardworking and his impact can be
felt in almost all facets of governance in the
state. The government recently launched a
Cleaner Lagos Initiative and in line with the
programme, we have equally launched “Operation
no refuse” in Eti-Osa East LCDA. The
idea is to play our part in making sure that
Lagos in general is clean devoid of refuse
and Eti-Osa East in particular.
of Representative they’ll be more effective in some states because in Lagos,
the impact of local government administration is being felt in all
nooks and crannies of the state.
Advise to market women and residents:
My sincere advice to market men and women as well as the residents of
Eti-Osa East LCDA is to help the government by desisting from disposing
their refuse inappropriately. The government has provided waste
disposal points and the residents must dispose their refuse only at designated
spots as this will help in evacuating the waste easily. It is also important
to let them know that this government will not tolerate people
dumping their refuse indiscriminately any longer and offenders will be
severely dealt with. Our target is to be the cleanest Local government in
Lagos state.
What are you doing to ensure that market
women in the whole of Eti-Osa East LCDA
key into this laudable programme? Beyond
what we are doing as a government,
we intend to engage the market men and
women in a stakeholders meeting with a
view to enlightening them on the need and
importance of plying their trade in a clean
environment. We intend to equally compel
them to make sure that their refuse is
properly disposed in line with the overall
objectives of the Lagos state government
in ensuring a cleaner Lagos. We will equally
encourage them to continue with the weekly
environmental sanitation in their various
markets every Thursday as it has always
been as this will go a long way in eradicating
some diseases that are caused by a dirty
environment. The most important aspect
of this exercise is that disease like cholera,
Lassa fever and the rest will be free from our
environment.
Beyond the newly launched “operation no
refuse” what other programmes should
we expect from your government? During
the elections, I met with various stakeholders
including market women, CDC executive,
CDA’s and others and assured all of
them that if voted into power that I won’t
deviate from what my great party (APC) is
doing progressively, in terms of infrastructural
development, youth/women empowerment,
sports development, as well as improved
health facilities. For example, in one
of the areas I went to campaign, I promised
to build classroom block in that community
and as we speak we have set in motion a
process that will lead to the fulfillment of
that promise which by the grace of God will
be delivered as we mark 100 days in office.
Youth empowerment has also been identified
as a priority and we have categorized
them into three; skill acquisition, sports development
and employment generation.
The youths need to pick where their interest
lies and key into the various programmes
we have established. In sports development,
our intention is to create opportunities
where the talents of these youths can be
fully utilized. We will organize competitions
in football, table tennis and other sports as
a way of catching them while they are still
young.
In terms of employment, we will continue
to engage the state government in that respect
as they are in full control. Besides, we
have about 265 staff and 115 staff yet to be
confirmed. If opportunity arises, we will consider
the yet to confirmed staff before looking
elsewhere.
In terms of security, we don’t want what
happened in Ikorodu to happen in our area
here especially the activities of the dreaded
badoo guys and the high incidence of kidnapping
for ransome as we will enhance
our security apparatchik in partnership the
police with a view to draw up a frame work
that will help us achieve success.
Has the impact of Local government administration
been felt?
I think that if the local government if given
autonomy as being canvassed in the House
Is there a plan to provide clean up equipment in the various markets
that are in the LCDA? Of course, we intend to make available clean up
equipment to the various markets in the LCDA to help them in actualizing
the objective of this initiative.
What drives you?
Like I said earlier, I was a former councillor and former Vice Chairman of
this very local government under two experienced and dynamic leaders,
so I have the requisite experience to deliver on our campaign promises. I
won’t rest on my oars until Eti-Osa East LCDA is completely transformed.
24 | www.ekocitymagazine.com Aug., - Sept., 2017
www.ekocitymagazine.com | 25

ETI-OSA JOURNAL
ETI-OSA JOURNAL
Ministry of Environment Officials
pays a working visit to Eti-Osa
local Government
In a bid to curb re- occurrence of the flood disaster that recently
happened early July due to heavy downpour, the
officials of the Ministry of Environment and the team from
Ecological Fund Office, Abuja paid a working visit to Eti Osa
Local Government to ascertain the immediate and remote
causes of the menace
The Executive Chairman of Eti-Osa Local government, Hon.
Saheed Adesegun Bankole accompanied by the management
staff led the team to the communities greatly affected especially
Okun, Alpha Beach, Ajiran Canal beach leading to the
Lagoon by CHEVRON drive and Ikota. He informed the team
that the areas visited need quick intervention and immediate
attention of the Federal Government as lives are being endangered,
such that people live in panic when the rainy season
approaches.
Mr. Olorunfemi Solomon who led the team claimed that the
essence of the visit was to address the seeming challenges facing
such communities, stating that as long as the Government
is ready to come to their aid, the people too should avert environmental
abuse capable of jeopardizing its efforts.
He described the cause of the disaster to environmental
abuse such as canal blockage, non-availability of water drain
channels, inability to maintain existing drainages and Climate
Change.
Hon. Olufunmi Launches “operation
no refuse” in Eti-Osa East LCDA
Traders in Ajah market in Eti Osa East
Local Council Development Area
have been called upon to sanitize
their environment and stop indiscriminate
dumping of refuse on the drainages
and roadside.
The Executive Chairman of Eti-Osa East
Local Council Development Area, Hon. Rafiu
Olatunji Olufunmi made this known at the
launching of “operation no refuse” in the
market. He stated that the heap of refuse
dump at various parts of the market is bad
as it has the potential of breeding deadly
disease like Lassa fever etc.
The chairman reiterated that the idea
behind the initiative is to play their part in
making sure that Lagos in general and Eti-
Osa East in particular are clean devoid of
refuse.
He maintained that beyond what we are
doing as a government, “we intend to engage
the market men and women in a stakeholders
meeting with a view to enlightening
them on the need and importance of plying
their trade in a clean environment. We intend
to equally compel them to make sure
that their refuse is properly disposed in line
with the overall objectives of the Lagos state
government in ensuring a cleaner Lagos.
We will equally encourage them to continue
with the weekly environmental sanitation
in their various markets every Thursday as it
has always been as this will go a long way
in eradicating some diseases that are caused
by a dirty environment. The most important
aspect of this exercise is that disease like
cholera, Lassa fever and the rest will be free
from our environment”.
Sanitarian Biobaku, the leader of the sanitation
department in the local council said
that the beauty of this initiative is that Lagos
state had earlier earmarked Thursday every
week as sanitation day in the various markets
in Lagos state. What the Local government
Chairman has done by providing clean
up equipment is that it will enhance the
cleanliness of the markets. We have also assembled
a task force that will arrest anyone
that dumps their refuse indiscriminately.
She advised the residents to package
their refuse properly and dispose them only
at designated points so that the registered
PSP operators can evacuate the refuse easily.
“I believe that with the Cleaner Lagos
initiative, our environment will be cleaner
devoid of refuse with a corresponding increase
in better health and health living for
the masses”, she concluded.
Traders charged on
environmental sanitation
Traders and members of National Union of Road
Transport Workers (NURTW) at Jakande First Gate
in Eti Osa Local Government have been called
upon to sanitize their environment and stop indiscriminate
dumping of refuse at the roadside.
The Executive Chairman of Eti-osa Local government
Area, Hon. Saheed Bankole made this known during a
short meeting held with them at the Council Secretariat.
He stated that the heap of refuse dump at Jakande
Roundabout is indeed an eye sore, imploring them to
patronize LAWMA in disposing their refuse.
Hon, Bankole further hinted that efforts are in top gear
by the State Government to situate an Airport in Eti-Osa
Local Government hence a cleaner, healthier and friendly
environment should be maintained.
In line with this development, traders were advised
to shift their wares backwards to avoid traffic gridlock,
stressing further that the Local Government would not
want to employ the use of force in ensuring that the directive
is adhered to.
The representative of LAWMA at the meeting reiterated
that most of the refuse are being dumped in the
night or early in the morning. He however advised that a monitoring
team be put in place by the Local Government, emphasizing that it
requires the use of caterpillar to effectively evacuate the huge refuse
being generated in the area.
While promising to look into that, Hon. Bankole craved the assistance
of the NURTW members in monitoring people who are in the
habits of dumping refuse at the Roundabout.
26 | www.ekocitymagazine.com Aug., - Sept., 2017 Aug., - Sept., 2017
www.ekocitymagazine.com | 27

ETI-OSA JOURNAL
ETI-OSA JOURNAL
This is a pictorial story of how Honourable Honorable Saheed
Bankole and Omo-Oba Tutu Adetoro embarked on campaigns that
brought them into the Chairmanship and Vice Chairmanship position
of Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Mr.Kehinde Hassan during the L.G.A campaign
APC Eti-OSA LGA Chairman in a short discussion
with Otunba Salisu Elegushi and the
Chairman during the campaign.
Sitting from left - APC L.G.A Chairman, Mr.
Mondiu Shade; Otunba Salisu Elegushi; Alhaji
Azeez Esinlokun; Alhaji Jamiu Muibi, Eti-Osa
Local Government Chairman, Mr. Saheed
Bankole and Baale of Agungi during the Local
Government election campaigns.
Chief Olowa of Ajran land addressing the Chairman, His Vice, Councilors, and other supporters
in his compound at Okun Afa Village.
The Chairman and his supporters were highly
welcome by the people of Lafiaji -Ojuegun
At Ikota residence Association, an Elderly addressing the chairman and his Vice during the
campaign
Waiting for the royal Blessing at Oba- Elegushi’s
Palace
Honorable bankole addressing the Baale and
the community people at Olugborogan Village
Square during the Campaigns.
Vice Chairman Omo-Oba Adeola Adetoro exchanging pleasantry with APC supporter at Olugborogan
Village Square
Honorable Bankole and Omo-Oba Tutu
Adetoro at the Palace of His Royal Majesty
the paramount ruler of Ikate Elegushi –Oba
Saheed Elegushi, Kusenla III
Honorable Bankole in a brief discussion with
the ABORE of IKATE LAND Chief Saftrani ELegushi
Otunba Salisu Elegushi discussing with His
Royal Majesty the Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi
the Kusenla III of IKATE LAND
Olugorogan Community People gave a
standing ovation during the campaign Visit
Honourable Bankole and his supporter arrives
Lafiaji –Ojuegun Village
Prince Lukmon Atanda Elegushi, the APC
ward A Chairman ETI-OSA L.G.A during an interview
with Ekocity Magazine Managing Editor,
Nnamdi Nwokolo during the campaign
Visit to Elegushi palace
His Royal Majesty, Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi
the Kusenla III of IKATE LAND advising
the chairman and his supporters in a visit
to his palace during the Local Government
Chairmanship Election campaign.
The Palace of Baale of Lafiaji during the campaign
Visit.
Otunba Salisu Elegushi and Honorable Saheed
Bankole during the campaign.
28 | www.ekocitymagazine.com Aug., - Sept., 2017 Aug., - Sept., 2017
www.ekocitymagazine.com | 29

ETI-OSA JOURNAL
Campaign Visit to the central leader of APC
–ETI- OSA LGA Omo-Oba Murphy Adetoro at
his house in IKATE Elegushi
Honorable Bankole Addressing cross section
of supporter at Lekki –Admiralty Pavilion
during the campaign
Honorable Saheed Bankole with the Publisher
of Ekocity Magazine, Mr. Abiodun Kayode
Fawumi during the visit to Chief Waheed Eletu,
the Olisa of Iworo Land
Honorable Bankole and Omo-Oba Adetoro
chatting during the visit to Chief Waheed
Eletu, the Olisa of Iworo Land
You can now read Ekocity Magazine @ the following outlets
APC ETI-OSA L.G.A Elder during prayer session
after the Election before the results was
announced
Honorable Saheed Bankole casting his voting
at community Mayegun Primary School
Villa Angelia
(Home away from Home)
One of the APC ETI-OSA L.G.A Elder Baba
Ashimi praying for councilors after the Election
before the result was announced.
One of the APC ETI-OSA L.G.A Elder Baba
Ashimi praying for councilors after the Election
before the result was announced.
Otunba Salisu Elegushi stood by Honorable
Saheed Bankole as he exercises his voting
right at Mayegun primary School.
ETI-OSA INSIDE JOURNAL
is a monthly publication by Ekocity Media Company Ltd for ETI-OSA Local Government Area
30 | www.ekocitymagazine.com Aug., - Sept., 2017 Aug., - Sept., 2017
www.ekocitymagazine.com | 31

ENTERTAINMENT
ENTERTAINMENT
Nigerians are the
most creative set of
people globally
- VJ Adams
The name of Adams Ibrahim Ademola may sound strange to lovers of entertainment
but VJ Adams will definitely not. One of Nigeria’s best in entertainment,
VJ Adams explains that he don’t know who he is but definitely
knows who he wants to be, in this interview. Enjoy the inspirational words
from one of Nigeria’s best VJs.
What actually influenced your choice of career?
What influenced my choice of career is the
possibility of being the best. I figured out
that I probably won’t be the best Engineer as
my parents wanted me to be. So, I pursued a
career that I have the potential of being the
best. In secondary school, I was the social prefect
and that was my first introduction to entertainment
at any level. In and out, I’ve been
involved in so many things but I discovered
that I have the potential of being the best in
entertainment.
How long have you been doing entertainment
professionally?
I started doing entertainment about eight
years ago. My official debut was Next Movie
Star West Africa in 2008, although I did a little
bit of modeling before then. I started counting
my mark in 2008 actually. If you ask me, I
actually don’t know who I am, but I definitely
know who I want to be. Who do I want to be?
I want to be a man that will be remembered
for good.
From your experience, what are the critical
factors for success in the industry?
I believe that people have to do whatever
they do for the right reasons. You need to
search deep within you to find out the reasons
why you are doing what you are doing. A
lot of people go into different facets of entertainment
for money. I tell people that there’s
no possible way you will be the best in what
you do and not make money. The key is to be
diligent in whatever you do and be passionate
about what you do. To be a success, you
need to do what you do for the right reasons.
Assessment of the entertainment industry
in Nigeria:
The entertainment industry in Nigeria is
evolving and I think a lot needs to be done in
terms of copyrights, trademarks, piracy and
distribution across board. Have we grown
over the years? The answer is absolutely yes,
but I’m of the school of thought that there’s
always something bigger to look forward to
as it can always get better. I believe it’s better
for the industry practitioners today compared
to their counterparts twenty years ago and I
hope it will be a lot better for people who will
be doing entertainment in another twenty
years.
In terms of creativity, how do you rate Nigeria
entertainers?
Interestingly, Nigerians are very creative people,
perhaps one of the most creative set of
people globally. I know that without a doubt.
But, creativity is a minute part of making anything
out of entertainment. As you would
have known that while you are toying with an
idea, a thousand people are doing the same,
but the difference is in the execution. It’s the
execution part that is pretty difficult for a lot
of people. You have an idea knowing full well
that you have to register the idea and copyright
and trademark it; do you have the funds
to do all of that. These are some of the things
that should be looked into.
Projections:
My projection in the next five years in terms of
work is that I want to have my own shows that
I’ll be the Executive producer. I’m on the verge
of doing that as a lot of pilot shoot is ongoing
as we speak. I want to be in that place that
I’ll be making impact even in my sleep. For
the industry, I sincerely hope that the issue
of piracy will be totally dealt with. Generally,
everything that affects the country directly
affects the industry, especially in the areas of
infrastructural development. I’m hoping that
distribution will get a lot better and people
will have the platform to express themselves.
How do you handle female fans?
Female fans are female fans; it’s what it is and
I don’t take them for granted. I understand
that people look up to you on different levels.
I feel like it’s a blessing in identifying female
fans as female fans. I’m all about competence
and getting the job done. I’ve heard people
say that I’m arrogant a lot of times but I’m not
responsible for how you feel about me till you
meet me. It is a deliberate action that all you
hear and know about me are my works.
What has been the most challenging experience
for you?
Like I said earlier, whatever the challenge the
country is going through has a way of affecting
what we do technically. For example, I’ve
not had light in my house for the past 48hours
so I rely on generators to get light. How
about people that cannot afford generators,
it means their productivity will be adversely
affected. If the country is fixed, and laws are
made to protect intellectual properties, then
execution becomes a lot easier.
Achievements:
Honestly, I don’t even know. I move on too
quickly, sadly. I’m constantly on the move to
the next project as I don’t get carried away
by little successes and I think that is what has
brought me thus far. I’ve been priviledged
to have won many awards but I’ve not been
able to receive any of the awards personally
because I’ve moved on to the next project. It’s
good to win awards but knowing full well that
your time is limited on earth, I try as much as
possible to put in my best in the little time I
have.
What drives you?
The driving force is the ability to fulfill my potentials
as a human being. A lot of people are
afraid of what people will say about them. I
know quite a number of my colleagues who
feels they are talented and have interest in
doing more than they are currently doing, but
guess what; they are scared of what people
will say, forgetting that when you are lowered
in your grave, nobody’s opinion is going to
count. I do everything possible to fulfill my
potentials and everything I do; I try to put in
my best to it. One prayer that is constant in
my lips is to have good health.
32 | www.ekocitymagazine.com Aug., - Sept., 2017 Aug., - Sept., 2017
www.ekocitymagazine.com | 33

34 | www.ekocitymagazine.com Aug., - Sept., 2017 Aug., - Sept., 2017
www.ekocitymagazine.com | 35

Full list of newly sworn in Local Government
Chairmen in Lagos State:
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Foreign Embassies, Consulates & High Commissions in Lagos
British Deputy High Commission Lagos
11 Walter Carrington Crescent, Victoria
Island, Lagos State Nigeria
+ 234 (1) 277 0780, + 234 (1) 277 0781, +
234 (1) 277 0782
https://www.gov.uk/government/world/
nigeria
Chinese Consulate General in Lagos
Plot 161A, Idejo Street, Victoria Island,
Lagos State Nigeria
+234 1 2715350, +234 1 2715351, +234 1
2700299, +234 1 2715583
http://lagos.china-consulate.org/
Consulate General of Italy in Lagos
12 Walter Carrington Crescent, Victoria
Island, Lagos State Nigeria
+234 8188268203, +234 1 4485696
http://www.conslagos.esteri.it/Consolato_
Lagos
Deputy High Commission of Canada
4 Anifowoshe Street, Victoria Island, Lagos
State Nigeria.
+234 1 2715650, +234 1 2715651
http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/
nigeria/
France Consulate in Lagos
1 Lady Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi, Lagos
State Nigeria
+234 1 4628484, +234 14628470, +234 1
2693427, +234 1 4628480
http://www.ambafrance-ng.org/-English-
German Consulate General
15 Walter Carrington Crescent, Victoria
Island, Lagos State Nigeria
00234 1 280 9966, 00234 1 280 9969
http://www.nigeria.diplo.de
Greenland Consulate in Lagos
121 Louis Solomon Close, Maersk House,
Victoria Island, Lagos State
+234-1 262 6430, +234-1 262 6428
https://greenland.visahq.com.ng/embassy/
nigeria/
Honorary Consul of the Republic of
Cyprus
2 Wharf Road, Apapa, Lagos State Nigeria
234 8128990025, 234 7098213066
http://bit.ly/2cJ2DDD
Russian Embassy in Lagos
5, Walter Carrington Crescent, Victoria
Island, Lagos State, Nigeria
+234-1 2612267, +234-1 2615022, +234-1
2613359, +234-1 4619994
http://bit.ly/2d6e9LQ
Singapore Consulate in Lagos
81-A, Younis Bashorun Street, Off Ajose
Adeogun, Victoria Island, Lagos State Nigeria.
+234 8099678888, +234 1 4619088,
+234 1 4610818, +234 1 4489333
http://www.mfa.gov.sg/content/mfa/overseasmission/nigeria.html
Turkey Embassy in Lagos
3 Okunola Martins Close, Ikoyi, Lagos State
08036488981, 08074949503, +234 1
2693040
http://abuja.emb.mfa.gov.tr/
U.S Consular Section in Lagos
2 Walter Carrington Crescent, Victoria
Island, Lagos State Nigeria
(234) 01-440-6218, (+234)-1- 460-3600,
(+234)-1- 460-3400, (+234)-1-460-3717
http://nigeria.usembassy.gov/
Barbados Consulate in Lagos
38 Warehouse Road, Penthouse, Yinka
Folawiyo Plaza, Apapa, Lagos State Nigeria
234 1 4700252, 234 1 5870068
Belgium Honorary Consulate
21 Boyle Street, second floor, Onikan, Lagos
State, Nigeria. +234 816 805 69 86, +234
903 781 10 59, +234 1 4630897
Chad Embassy in Lagos
2 Goriola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos State
Nigeria. +234 1 2612590, 234 1 2618314
Denmark Consulate in Lagos
121 Louis Solomon Close, Maersk House,
Victoria Island, Lagos State Nigeria
+234 1 2626430, +234 1 2626450, +234 1
2626495, +234 1 2626428
Equatorial Guinea Consulate in Lagos
7 Murtala Muhammed Drive, Ikoyi, Lagos
State Nigeria. +234 1 26912 11, 234 1
2616062
Gabon Embassy in Lagos
8 Norman William Street, Ikoyi, Lagos State
Nigeria +234 1 2684566, +234 1 2690692
Malta Consulate in Lagos
108 Adeniyi Jones Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos
State Nigeria. 234-1 4706009, 234-1
8793880, 234-1 4971015, 234-1 4971014
Saudi Arabia Embassy in Lagos
182, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos State
234-1 2690306, 234-1 2690358, 234-1
2690101
Senegal Embassy in Lagos
14, Kofo Abayomi Road, Victoria Island,
Lagos Nigeria +234 1 611722
Serbia Embassy in Lagos
7, Maitama Sule Street, S/W Ikoyi, Lagos
State Nigeria. +234-1 2690912, +234-1
2694202, +234-1 2691889
Spanish Consulate in Lagos
21 Cs Kofo Abayomi Road, Victoria Island,
Lagos State Nigeria. +234 1 4617618, +234
1 2805488, +234 1 4617397
Sweden Consulate in Lagos
17, Walter Carrington Crescent, Victoria
Island, Lagos State Nigeria
+234 1 4616000, +234 1 4616020
Syria Embassy in Lagos
25 Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island,
Lagos State Nigeria. +234 1 2618963, +234
1 2615680
Tanzania Embassy in Lagos
8 Agoro Odiyan Street, Victoria Island,
Lagos State Nigeria
+234 1 613604, +234 1 610016
Togo Embassy in Lagos
Plot 976 Oju Olobun Close, Victoria Island,
Lagos State Nigeria. +234 1 2617478, +234
1 2617448, +234 1 2617449
Tunisia Embassy in Nigeria
Plot 79, Younis Basorun Street, Victoria
Island, Lagos State Nigeria. +234 1 2618150
Uruguay Consulate in Lagos
Plot 979, Saka Jojo Street, Victoria Island,
Lagos State Nigeria. +234 1 617063, +234 1
614107, +234 1 2619477
Venezuela Consulate in Lagos
35B, Adetokunbo Ademola Street, Victoria
Island, Lagos State Nigeria
+234 1 2611590, +234 1 2617350
Zambia Consulate in Lagos
18 Festival Road, Victoria Island, Lagos State
Nigeria +234 1 2690426, +234 1 2690427
Please note that while every effort is made to ensure that the information contained here is correct and up-to-date, it is inevitable that
changes could be made by the Foreign Missions as regards their physical address, postal address, phone numbers, email address, website
and other information. We strongly advise that you check up these details further before proceeding. Also note that some Foreign Missions
may have more than one office across more than one city in the country and others could have an independent partner agency for collection/submission
and/or return of applicants’ documents.
36 | www.ekocitymagazine.com Aug., - Sept., 2017 Aug., - Sept., 2017
www.ekocitymagazine.com | 37

ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Our focus is to tap into the
opportunities the Lekki Free Trade
Zone will provide - Alex Nwajei
Lagos to begin reconstruction
of Oshodi/International Airport
Road next month
TRANSPORT
Alexander Nwajei, the Managing Director of Freeway Auto Services Limited owners of Michelin Tyre service centre
in the Lekki axis of Lagos is a professional that believes in giving the best in service delivery. The organization
recently moved to Abijo town towards the Lagos Export Processing zone as Mr. Nwajei hopes to tap into the potential
of the Free Trade Zone as he espoused in this interview with Abiodun Fawumi. Enjoy it.
What influenced your choice of business?
Upon graduation from the university, I got
employed in the marketing department of
Michelin, an international tyre company.
I worked diligently with the organization
for twelve good years before I voluntarily
retired in 2001. Since my resignation, I’ve
been a major distributor and service centre
of Michelin. I‘ve heard people ask if Michelin
is still in Nigeria; yes, Michelin is still very
much in Nigeria, what is not in Nigeria is the
manufacturing arm of the company. But the
marketing arm is still very much in Nigeria as
the company is still importing its products
into Nigeria. The structure of the marketing
department of the company is still at Ijora
area of Lagos and I’m one of their major distributors
in Lagos till date.
What has been the biggest challenge of
running the business?
The most challenging experience is the dollar
fluctuation that has affected all business
enterprise in the last one year but now it’s
easing off gradually. But, what the advisers
of the government have failed to recognise
is the fact that tyre shouldn’t have been categorized
as a luxury item; that is the reason
why it is so costly. Agreed that some vehicles
are luxury rides for some people, but
for the farmer in the village, the vehicle that
conveys agricultural produce is not luxury to
them. I enjoin the government to stop classifying
tyres as luxury item as it will go a long
way in reducing the cost of transportation
to a reasonable extent.
Do you deal on other products?
I have a relationship with Michelin as they
are our major supporter in terms of technical
support. Because of that, I owe allegiance
to them and having worked with
them for twelve years, any background
I have in terms of tyre is due to them and
because of that I have some form of loyalty
coupled with the fact that their products are
of very high quality. I store 60% of Michelin
products and 40% of other products.
We’ve followed your success over the
years, why did you decide to leave the city
centre and come this far? The reason is very
simple as I want to tap into the development
goals of Lagos state. I see Lagos as a
state that encourages entrepreneurship
and provides the conducive environment
for expansion and the rest. Since Lagos has
bought into the free trade zone, Freeway
Auto Services Limited want to also tap into
the opportunities the zone will offer. We realized
that this zone will develop overtime
and we want to be the preferred choice
when the time comes.
Like you rightly observed, Ibeju is becoming
the business hub of Lagos...
(cuts in) From the foundation of Lagos, you’ll
agree with me that successive governments
have been consistent with the roadmap that
they all pursue. The beauty of all of that is
that it boosts investor confidence. We have
all the hope that the implementation of
their various programmes will be religiously
followed through for a better Lagos. What
I’ve seen is that in terms of transportation,
ferries need to be introduced and the construction
of the fourth mainland bridge will
go a long way in easing the transportation
challenge that may arise in the area.
Projections:
Our focus is to see the possibility of keying
into the free trade zone, provided the
government will give adequate support to
investors. We equally look forward to operating
a factory where we can recycle used
tyres to provide allied products for export. It
is a capital intensive project and will be pretty
difficult for an individual company to embark
on; so government support is needed
in this respect to free our environment with
used tyres that are fast becoming a menace
41
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos
State at the Third Quarter Town
Hall Meeting, the 8th in the series,
held at the Badore Ferry Terminal,
Lagos says that reconstruction work on Oshodi-International
Airport Road and equally
disclosed that plans are already underway
to commence the construction of 181 local
government roads by September 2017.
On the Oshodi-International Airport Road,
Governor Ambode said the construction,
which has already been awarded, would
see the transformation of the road from four
lanes to 10 lanes from Oshodi to the International
Airport with interchange and flyover
that would drop commuters to the Local
Airport.
It would be recalled that in May 2017, Acting
President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo approved
that the road be handed over to
the Lagos State Government for total reconstruction.
Governor Ambode, who had
described the current state of the road as a
National disgrace, said that work would begin
in earnest come September.
On the delay in the commencement of
rehabilitation of 181 inner roads, Governor
Ambode said the development was due
to the fluctuation in dollar rate at the time
the bid was last opened, but that a new
IN THE NEXT COUPLE
OF WEEKS, WE WILL
REOPEN THE ADVERT
TO GET A NEW COST
AND ALL THINGS
BEEN EQUAL THE JOB
WOULD START ON
THE ROADS BY END OF
SEPTEMBER 2017
bid would be opened in the next couple of
weeks, while work would commence in September.
“In the next couple of weeks, we will reopen
the advert to get a new cost and all
things been equal the job would start on the
roads by end of September 2017,” he said.
Governor Ambode also assured residents
that the State Public Works would seize the
period of the break of the rainy season to fix
all potholes across the State in order to improve
drive time for motorists.
38 | www.ekocitymagazine.com Aug., - Sept., 2017 Aug., - Sept., 2017
www.ekocitymagazine.com | 39

DEVELOPMENT
We need government
presence in our
community
- Bale of Agumbiaka
Chief Olalekan Agunbiaka, the Baale of Agunbiaka land in Ibeju area of Lagos
is so passionate about the development of his community that he goes
the extra mile to make it happen. He spoke to Ekocity on the need for government
to urgently come to their aid by improving the infrastructures in
the community.
Would you say your community has really
felt the impact of governance in Lagos
State?
It is public knowledge that the Lagos state
government led by Akinwunmi Ambode is
doing marvelous things in terms of infrastructural
development. Even though that
as a community, we are yet to fill the maximum
impact of government, but I believe
that the government will definitely remember
Agumbiaka community in its infrastructural
development programmes.
What areas does your community need urgent
government attention?
The biggest challenge that we encounter in
this community is the lack of access roads
into the community especially during the
rainy season. But we believe that government
will soon commence work here in
Agumbiaka, especially now that development
is facing this side, the construction
of the access roads as well other infrastructures
like electricity will attract investors into
this area.
What is the readiness Agumbiaka community
for this development?
The development of my community is so
paramount to me, so we are always ready to
support investors that are coming to invest
in our community. The community is willing
to sell land to people that will build schools
and hospitals. We enjoin the government to
quickly come to our aide in the provision of
water; access roads as this will further enhance
the chances of attracting investors to
Agumbiaka community. The beauty of buying
land form us is that our lands are devoid
of government acquisition and Omo onile’s
do not operate here.
What is the role of traditional institution
in community development?
The role of the traditional institution cannot
be overemphasized as they are the custodians
of the peoples’ tradition. I thank the
Lagos state government led by Mr. Akinwunmi
Ambode in the area of his support
for the traditional institution. The Onibeju,
the paramount ruler of Ibeju Oba Salami
Olusegun is a man God is using in maintaining
peace in his domain. I sincerely appreciate
the synergy between the government
and traditional institution and that has led
to accelerated development of most rural
communities in Lagos state. I want to use
this medium to express my appreciation to
the erstwhile Governor of Lagos state, Asiwaju
Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Governor
for the giant strides being in the state.
Since your coronation what has been most
challenging experience?
The biggest challenge we are facing as a
community is lack of basic infrastructures
including access roads especially during
the rainy season, no electricity and no pipe
borne water not to talk of access to primary
health care. We will appreciate it if the government
can come to our aid in this regard.
38
to society.
Assessment of the automobile industry
in Nigeria:
The automobile industry in Nigeria is one
of the biggest globally. After the United
States, I don’t see any other country that
can compete in terms of the number of cars
on the roads. This is because owning a car
in a city like Lagos is not a luxury rather a
necessity as public transportation is a huge
joke. Definitely, there’s room for expansion
of the automobile industry in the country.
What is the role of technology in your operations?
To be sincere with you, all our services are
automated. In terms of manpower, our personnel
go through diverse training to prepare
them for the global challenge ahead.
As part of our desire to make Lagosians
have value for their money, Freeway Auto
Services Limited through Michelin is constantly
interfacing with the Vulcanisers’ association
with a view to make them understand
tyre pressures. The idea is to organize
a conference to let them know the need to
calibrate the pump to give the right pressure
to tyres which is the major cause of
road accidents in the country.
What is your take on the recent flooding
and what advice to motorists?
My sincere advice to motorists is to be extra
careful when driving on routes they are not
familiar with. For the route they are familiar
with, they also need to be careful because
the moment it rains, there’s bound
to be road failures that will make potholes
to develop. When you enter a bump on a
high speed, what will happen to the tyre is
better imagined than experienced. In areas
where there is stagnant water, they also
need to be careful as they may not know
the debris under the water that may cause
severe damage to their tyres. We need to
be careful in all we do as motorists.
Succession Planning:
I try to bring my children in to see what
we are doing to know if they can develop
interest but if not, I won’t compel any of
them to come and work here.
40 | www.ekocitymagazine.com Aug., - Sept., 2017 Aug., - Sept., 2017
www.ekocitymagazine.com | 41

SPORT
Yadav wins Lagos Int’l
Badminton Competition
MANUFACTURING
I See Challenges As Opportunities
To The Next Level
- Femi Ajayi
Femi Ajayi, the Chief Technical Director/CEO of Inspire furniture’s Limited is a passion driven professional who
shared his experience in business in this interview with Nnamdi Nwokolo.
Chittaboina Rahul Yadav of India has
won the 3rd Lagos International
Badminton Classics after defeating
fellow country man Karan Rajan in
an intensive final match to emerge the winner.
The Special Adviser on Central Business
Districts, Hon. Agboola Dabiri, who represented
the Special Guest of Honour, Governor
Akinwunmi Ambode, said the hosting
of the International Badminton Classics was
borne out of the present administration’s
mandate to achieve tourism through sports.
According to him, Sports is a vital tool in
every country, to promote and showcase its
cultural heritage, to grow its economy and
create employment for many talented citizens
irrespective of their area of operational
gifts.He assured sports lovers that the State
will put in all that is needed to ensure Lagos
hosts other competitions that of the same
high standard.
On his part, the Special Adviser to the
Governor on Sports and Chairman, Lagos
State Sports Commission, Mr. Deji Tinubu
said the Badminton Classics was hosted to
show that Lagos could give players a platform
to thrive globally.His words, “This Tournament
is to show that we can improve the
THIS TOURNAMENT
IS TO SHOW THAT WE
CAN IMPROVE THE
STANDARD OF OUR
PLAYERS AND WE CAN
BRING THE WORLD
HERE. WE CAN MAKE
IT HAPPEN IN LAGOS,
WE CAN CREATE
EVENTS HERE TO
EXPOSE THEM
GLOBALLY
standard of our players and we can bring
the world here. We can make it happen in
Lagos, We can create events here to expose
them globally”.
While commending the Badminton Federation
of Nigeria, Tinubu said the professionalism
displayed by the Players, Teams
and Officials was satisfactory and top class,
noting that the State will continue its developmental
Programmes to churn out the
best of talents in all aspects of Sports.
The President, Badminton Federation of
Nigeria & Chairman, Lagos Badminton Federation,
Barrister Francis Orbih commended
Players from all the eleven Countries represented,
saying they have exhibited the spirit
of good sportsmanship.He revealed that
this year’s competition had better funding
and compensation for the players following
Governor AkinwunmiAmbode’s support for
the increase of the funding from $15,000 to
$20,000 which has, in turn, attracted private
sponsorship for the Competition.He, however,
assured Sports enthusiasts to expect a
bigger and better organization of the competition
next year, stating that 2018 is the
Olympics’ global events year.The teams that
participated in the tournament are; Portugal,
Togo, Ghana, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Jordan,
India, Italy, Benin Republic, Uganda and host
country Nigeria.
What influenced your choice of business?
Upon leaving high school, my elder brother
who is into furniture making persuaded me
into joining him to learn the trade. Before
then, I had secretly admired his creativity
in the trade and through that admiration,
my interest to learn the trade grew. When
the suggestion was made that I join him,
it was like a dream come true because, I
have privately developed a passion for the
trade. I joined him ultimately and learnt
the trade for good six years during which I
went through diverse trainings that finally
equipped me for where we are today. After
the apprenticeship period of six years, I had
my freedom and set up my own firm and to
the glory of God; we are in the seventh year
of our operations.
What has been the most challenging experience
since you started?
When I set up my firm, the major challenge
that stared me in the face was where to site
my workshop. I had to meet omonile’s at the
time for land which they promised to give,
but the unfortunate scenario was that they
will just take the money without allocating
any land. This was part of the early challenges
we encountered. The issue of startup
capital is something that nearly frustrated us
out of the business, but passion kept pushing
me. My perseverance and the grace of
God is what led us to where we are coupled
with the fact that I see challenges as opportunities
that will take you to the next level.
For example, you cannot be promoted to
the next class if you don’t pass your exams,
the same way you can’t get to the next level
if you don’t overcome challenges.
What are the unique factors that stand
your organization out?
One of the factors that stand us out of the
competition is a unique blend of quality,
competitive pricing and excellent customer
service delivery. We go out of our way
to research and get the best of materials
to produce high quality products at a very
competitive price. We fully understand what
value and satisfaction means to our customers
and we have the required skills in scaling
up the value chain for our diverse clientele.
Our company is composed of a carefully
selected blend of highly skilled and semi-
skilled work force that are determined to ensure
effective customer satisfaction, as they
are inspired to challenge the status quo,
finding ingenious ways to find efficiencies
and engage with the world at large.
How hard is it to have a company that produces
the raw materials in Nigeria?
It is not very hard but the challenge is that
it is capital intensive to have a company that
can produce some of the raw materials locally.
Funny enough, all the components
needed to make the raw materials available
are in abundance in Nigeria like the saw
dust and wood etc. It gives me great pain
that every day we get rid of thousands of kilos
of saw dust that cannot be used. In some
other countries, the saw dust would’ve been
another source raw material and revenue as
well, but they are wasted here.
Is that the reason why most people prefer
importation rather than local production?
There is a tough change going on in Nigeria
and in a short period, importers of finished
products will be out of the market because
our borders are getting more secured and
let me also remind you that those items
are contraband. Anyone who prefers importation
to local manufacturing will have
himself to blame in the long run. The efforts
of the present administration have made
it near impossible for importers of finished
products to thrive and I urge them not to
relent until we attain self-sufficiency in furniture
production in Nigeria. We foresaw the
present situation and we took a conscious
effort to invest heavily in local production.
It will interest you to know that everything
you see in our showroom is manufactured
in our factory in Nigeria.
Focus/Projections:
Our focus is to build our capacity to be able
to export our products beyond the shores
of this country after satisfying the local demand.
It is going to take us time and huge
capital but we are committed to generate
foreign exchange by exporting our products.
To be honest with you, our focus will
be to serve the Nigerian market, then move
to neighbouring African countries before
taking the global market. Ranging from
home, office, school and hotel furniture,
Inspire Furnitures has developed a quality
assurance policy that guarantees not only
quality but durable and pocket friendly
products. The uniqueness of the product
makes us stand out amongst the committee
of furniture makers.
From your experience, what are the critical
factors for building a sustainable future?
The challenge with most entrepreneurs is
that they are looking for instant gratification.
To build a sustainable business, you
must look beyond where you are at the moment
and focus on the future, in terms of
where you are taking the business to, in line
with your vision. It is also important to imbibe
the virtues of patience, strategic planning,
honesty, integrity and good customer
service. With these in place, the percentage
of success will be very high. The direction
we are going, we intend to redefine quality
and the service level in the furniture industry
in Nigeria, so that customers will have
real value for their money.
42 | www.ekocitymagazine.com Aug., - Sept., 2017 Aug., - Sept., 2017
www.ekocitymagazine.com | 43

LEISURE & HOSPITALITY
LEISURE & HOSPITALITY
Serviced Apartments!
An emerging new trend
in Lagos!
ADEYINKA OLOYEDE
CEO/FOUNDER,
REAL HABITATS APARTMENTS.
Nigerians are gradually gravitating towards serviced apartments
which are a cheaper alternative to hotels as they have more amenities,
are easier to maintain and also provide guests looking for
temporary accommodation that absolute comfort which makes
life easier as problems of power disruptions, security and so on are
managed efficiently by the facility management on ground. Guests
also enjoy the fact that there are no extra bills for housekeeping and
security as the apartments mostly come with all-inclusive packages
and the top notch ones actually have Chefs and nannies to take care
of families and meals.
A long list of advantages over hotels include more space, as serviced
apartments generally have a separate living and dining area
(and even more living spaces if you choose an Luxury or Premium
apartment so you’re not just confined to a small bedroom. It provides
room to unwind and relax after a long day at work. It also
gives a convenient configuration for family or group travel as you
can often find apartments with several bedrooms and bathrooms
branching off from one central living area, and this can work well for
couples traveling with children or with another couple – everyone
has their privacy/space but can still hang out together in the shared
lounge room.
Apartments are serviced like hotels and still have all the trimmings you’ll find in a standard hotel building, such as a
pool, gym, conference center, restaurants and concierge – so you don’t have to sacrifice any amenities and yet serviced
apartments will often work out cheaper than an equivalent hotel, and while some will require you to book for a month
or a week to get a good deal, others still offer great rates for a stay of just a few nights. The fact that you can also cook
your own meals can help you save even more money and the longer you and your colleagues stay, the cheaper it becomes
– perfect for business travel which can require lengthy stays. Lengthy stays in hotel rooms can cripple company
financial budgets, not to mention that hotels aren’t always in good locations business-wise, which can upsurge travel
costs. As an extra incentive, you can also save money with the in-room washer and dryer and by cooking meals in the
serviced apartment’s kitchen.
There are several hundreds of serviced apartments in Lagos in areas like Old Ikoyi, Banana Island, Lekki, Parkview,
Ikeja Government reservation area (GRA), Maryland, Yaba, Surulere, Festac Town and the trend is definitely here to stay.
A
serviced
apartment,
also known as an
extended stay apartment
is a fully furnished
apartment available
for short-term or long-term
stay, providing hotel-like
amenities to clients like corporate
organizations, who
frequently use serviced apartments to host professionals who may
be on local or international work assignments. Although serviced
apartments are mostly for temporary accommodation and primarily
occupied by business executives, they are also available to the general
public such as families, couples or friends looking to get away in
a home away from home environment.
These apartments offer facilities much
like a traditional hotel but provide more
space, convenience and privacy. They
have private cooking facilities, sometimes
a kitchenette or most times a
full-size kitchen with dishwasher and
washing machine, living and sleeping
areas that are larger than most standard
rooms, and often having access to
gyms, restaurants, meeting space, concierges
and other hotel-like services.
44 | www.ekocitymagazine.com Aug., - Sept., 2017 Aug., - Sept., 2017
www.ekocitymagazine.com | 45

AUTOMOBILE
Automobile solutions
encompass education,
empowerment and fleet
maintenance - Temitope Joseph
Mrs. Temitope Joseph, the Managing Director/CEO of Tebenaj, an automobile solutions provider is always passionate
in almost everything she sets out to do. The organization provides automobile solution to individual and
corporate organizations. Mrs. Joseph explains in this interview that automobile solution is not just about vehicle
repair but it encompasses education, empowerment, fleet maintenance, routine and regular servicing to major
repairs as well as driver training.
Primero: BRT operator reviews
its fares downwards
In its renewed efforts towards changing the paradigm in transportation,
Primero Transport Limited, (operators of the blue BRT
buses) has announced plans to review its fares downwards to reflect
the wishes and aspirations of commuters as well as making
commuting on their buses more affordable to Lagosians.
Speaking with select journalists at their office in Majidun,
Ikorodu, the Managing Director of the Company, Mr. Fola Tinubu
said that in line with the yearnings of commuters in Lagos, the company
has devised an ingenious method of fare reduction by dividing
the BRT corridor into five zones against the three zones it used
to be. The zones according to him include Ikorodu-Mile 12; Mile
12-Maryland; Maryland-Fadeyi; Fadeyi-Costain and Costain-CMS.
“The reviewed fare will now be charged based on commuting from
one zone to another as against the flat rate being charged earlier.
For example, a passenger commuting from Ikorodu to Maryland will
now pay N150 as against the current charge of N200, and Ikorodu to
Fadeyi, will pay N200, against current charge of N250, and Ikorodu
to Constain, will now pay N250, as against the current N300, while
passenger from Ikorodu to TBS will pay the same charge of N300.
The overall concept is that if you are travelling within one zone,
you’ll pay N100.00; two zones, N150.00; three zones, N200.00; four
zones, N250.00 while travelling across the five zones will attract a
fare of N300.00”.
“The reviewed fare will be a lot cheaper for passengers doing
shorter distances and it was done in line with the yearnings of passengers
using the corridor. Primero being a responsive company
had to make this review to make the customer happy and comfortable
as well as changing the paradigm of transportation” he emphasized.
Tinubu equally informed his guests that the e-ticketing platform
TRANSPORT
Mr. Fola Tinubu explaining the downward review of BRT fares to journalists in his office
being test run at the moment will soon be introduced in all their
routes to reduce the stress encountered by passengers. The overall
idea according to him is to make public transportation more enjoyable
as well as making people have value for their money. He emphasized
that Primero Transport Limited in partnership with Yutong
intends to start assembling of the buses using a facility at Ibadan
while intensifying efforts to complete their assembly plant in Lagos
in the next couple of years.
What influenced your choice of business?
I have always been passionate in everything
I set out to do. I am a career business person,
young versatile and a family woman as well.
I am in this business with my husband; while
I run the administrative part of the business
he takes care of the technical aspect. Having
being trained in the United States as an automobile
technician, my husband has a very
good technical background. We have not
always done this commercially but we’ve always
find ourselves giving advisory services
to family and friends who have challenges
with their vehicles. It was the point we started
having issues with our mechanics that
we decided to go commercial. We enjoy
what we do and people equally encouraged
us to take it to the next level; that was how
the business started on a commercial level
five years ago.
What has been the most challenging experience
in doing this commercially?
The biggest challenge in running this business
commercially is that people are not
empowered in terms of knowledge and the
use of technology as a tool to solving societal
problems. As you know we are still far
behind in the application of technology to
solving problems. People tend to disagree
with this assertion because of the wide use
of mobile gadgets and technology but when
you talk about automobile technology, we
are still very far behind. We need to educate
our people to understand that automobile
solution is not just about vehicle repair but
it encompasses education, empowerment,
fleet maintenance, routine and regular servicing
to major repairs as well as driver training.
Although we’ve been driving since the
beginning of the century in this part of the
world, we have not been empowered in
terms of education and that is the biggest
apart from infrastructural challenges.
What is your area of specialization?
We provide automobile solutions to all
brands of vehicles. The reason is because automobiles
have the same engine principle.
If you look at the brands like Toyota, Nissan,
Hyundai or Mercedes Benz, the automobile
system is basically the same in terms of the
suspension system and the engine system.
The basics are the same; it is just in little areas
that are different. Beyond that, we have
technicians that specialize in diverse areas,
the tools, diagrams and technology which
makes it easy for us to provide solutions to
diverse automobile brands.
What stands your organization out?
The value you place on your automobile will
definitely determine where you take it for
repairs. The truth is that most often than not
we entrust our life in the hands of the vehicle
as we spend an average of three to four
hours daily in the vehicle. If we place a good
value on the vehicle, it simply behooves on
us to take the vehicle to professionals who
are empowered. The most important part of
this empowerment is the knowledge base.
Our knowledge base is second to none. Unfortunately,
I’ve been opportune to relate
with products of our technical colleges and
what I see is not encouraging at all. We have
not really invested in technical education in
Nigeria and it is affecting the whole gamut
of automobile engineering. What you find
everywhere is substandard personnel but
we have taken it upon ourselves to bridge
this gap through educational empowerment.
The unique selling point of our organization
is that constantly our emphasis is on
training. So, the quality of our technicians
sets us apart from others.
Can you enlighten us more about this
educational empowerment programme
of your organisation? Basically we have diverse
offerings especially for our corporate
clients. We have tried in so many ways to
add value to their operation like a seminar
we call ‘know your vehicle’. The idea is to
create an emergency learning programme
to keep them abreast of what to do in an
emergency situation. Apart from that, we
have different classes in our training school
for school leavers who cannot afford to further
their education. We equally have programmes
for graduates who have passion
or want to acquire a skill in automobile engineering.
There’s also a kiddies automobile
club that is geared towards empowering
children as well as enable them learn a skill.
In the next five years, what is your Projection
for the Organization?
We are hoping to take our service from the
small corner where we operate at Ibeju Lekki
area of Lagos State to other states of the
federation as well as globally, going forward.
We are equally hopeful that the people that
have passed through our tutelage and training
school will also be well established to
make the automobile solutions industry
more robust.
Ibeju Lekki is emerging as the business
hub of Lagos how prepared are you for
this implosion? I can tell you authoritatively
that we are very much prepared because research
is something I do all the time. We embark
on research to keep ourselves abreast
of the latest technology as well as what is
happening in the industry globally.
Is there anything government can do differently
to help the industry?
There are so many things government can
do as we rely on government to run our
business successfully. For example, the
infrastructural challenge is really slowing
down enterprise development in the country
as the funds you would’ve used in expanding
your business is being channeled
towards the provision of infrastructures. In
our operations, we spend millions of Naira
to put palliative measures on the road that
leads to our office to make it motor able, not
to talk of the amount spent on generators
and security. The road to our workshop that
I mentioned earlier that is about three minutes’
drive from the Lekki-Epe Expressway is
in deplorable condition and every year we
spend money to put paving stones/broken
blocks to fill the road. We will appreciate it
if government steps in and help us fix the
road to ease the challenges we encounter
annually on that road.
But the present administration is touted
to be embarking on massive infrastructural
development in the state, what’s your take
on that? The current administration led by
Governor Akinwumi Ambode has done
quite well, but then again, when I look at
the resources available to Lagos state government
and juxtapose it with what’s on
ground, you’ll agree with me that they need
to do more. To be sincere with you, Ibeju-
Lekki local government area has not benefitted
as much as other local governments
in terms of infrastructural development. For
example, most inner roads on the Mainland
are tarred whereas internal roads in Eti-osa
and Ibeju-Lekki are nothing to write home
about.
What drive you?
Passion is what sustains any enterprise especially
in this part of the world that challenges
will affect the return on investment.
We access credit facility at 25% interest, so
what kind of profit will be made in such circumstance.
The driving force is simply passion.
46 | www.ekocitymagazine.com Aug., - Sept., 2017 Aug., - Sept., 2017
www.ekocitymagazine.com | 47

INFRASTRUCTURE
LAGOS ICON:
Ahmed Adeniyi Ojikutu
INSIDE BACK
Mr. Ahmed Adeniyi Ojikutu, the Managing Director of Pacific
Technologies Limited and CEO of African Agro Development
Project, a mechanized agro investment project is a
seasoned professional of global repute whose interests
span Information and Communication Technology, Agriculture and
Agro allied sectors of the Nigerian economy.
Mr. Ojikutu obtained an OND in Business Studies from the Federal
Polytechnic, Ilaro and a Bachelor’s Degree in Actuary Science and Insurance
from the University of Lagos. Not relenting, he equally obtained
a Second Degree in Business Management from Lagos State
University and a Certificate in Journalism from the Nigerian Institute
of Journalism.
Ojikutu belongs to diverse professional associations including,
Member of the Institute of Business Strategy, Institute of Conflict Management
and Peaceful Resolution. The Vice-President of Young Entrepreneurs
of Nigeria, Secretary of Lagos for Us (NGO) and Coordinator
for Better Nigeria for the Future, Ojikutu is also the Director of Business
Development and Strategy for Rotary Club of Ikeja and Founder of Ademola
Ojikutu Foundation as well as President of Computer and Allied
Products Dealers Association of Nigeria, CAPDAN.
He possesses the maturity, objectivity, tenacity and strength of
character required to bring out the best in a team and organization
which is evident in the success of all his ventures, be it personal, business
or social. He is happily married with children.
48 | www.ekocitymagazine.com Aug., - Sept., 2017