Oct. 7, 2021

The Lagos State government says it will soon begin the construction of a research centre which will be the best on the continent as we prepare for the future.

Governor Sanwo-Olu disclosed this at the Publishers (GOCOP) conference in Lagos on Thursday, themed: Post COVID-19 Pandemic: Recovery and Reconstruction in Nigeria.

According to the governor who was represented by the Commissioner for information in the State, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, everyone, including the state is in the process of recovery from the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, “but it will not continue to dictate our lives”.

He noted that it will be difficult to talk about the recovery process at this stage because we are still in it.

He added that the vaccination drive and process is important in the recovery process, but ” unfortunately vaccines politics is slowing the process and Africa is struggling in the mix, depending on the largesse of the West.

“We do not pray for another pandemic. We have our experts and all they’re asking is an enabling environment to function”.

Omotoso said, the State government is doing a lot to help businesses and individuals recover, through the Lagos State Empowerment Trust Fund (LSETF), the Lagos Employment Acceleration Programme (LEAP) amongst other initiatives.

He added that the State’s health facilities are much better than what they used to be.

Thanking the media for support over the years, and especially at this time of the pandemic saying, “communication played a vital role in the government ‘s response to the pandemic and this was made possible by media who were at the forefront ensuring that the public get the necessary information needed.”

He however called on the media to help curb the spread of fake news and misinformation, especially with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic.