The Lagos State government has announced it would be benefiting from the United Kingdom 38 million pounds sterling extended programme on mobile-for-development in Nigeria.
A statement yesterday from Mr Tunde Alao, the Senior Special Assistant in the office of the Lagos State Deputy Governor, said this was disclosed by the United Kingdom Minister of State for Africa at the Foreign Commonwealth Office, Harriet Baldwin, during a courtesy visit on the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, in the latter’s office at Alausa, Ikeja.
Baldwin also doubles as UK’s Minister of State for Department for International Development.
According to the Minister, the mobile-for- development programme was designed to enable a lot of people access financial services through their mobile phones and buy things like solar system for their homes and businesses.
She added that owing to the significant impact of the programme on the people, the UK government was extending the programme to further affect positively the lives of other 27 million people around the world, including many in Lagos.
She noted that the programme was designed to absolutely impact the grassroots.
In addition, Baldwin said, the programme would enable women in the market use financial services in investing in solar fridges, solar freezers and things that would help them in their homes in areas where they don’t have access to reliable electricity.
The statement quoted the Minister as saying Lagos was often at the cutting edge of some of the investment in technology, “which is why the UK government is basing our science and technology centre in Lagos.”
Describing Lagos as an amazing and vibrant city, Baldwin noted that the UK government was willing to learn from some of the state’s innovations, while sharing some of theirs.
The Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, was stated to have assured the United Kingdom team that the Lagos State government was set to collaborate with them in any area that would be of immense benefit to the good people of the state.
Emphasizing that the programme was an extension, Dr Hamzat stated that the state government would embark on sensitizing its citizens to understand the benefits of the programme and take advantage of it.
“With the population advantage of Lagos, any developmental programme embarked upon would be of great benefits to the residents by empowering them. This would also be of immense benefits to every Nigerian and foreigner based in the state,” he said.
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