LAGOS, Nigeria – To scale down the incidental costs of rentals, and in order to accommodate all parastatals of the state within the Secretariat vicinity, the Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration has promised the completion of the multi-storey office complex, the Lagos Revenue House (formerly Elephant House), as well as the reconstruction of Ile-Pako (wooden block), by the main entrance of the Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, by September, this year.
Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Works, Dr Adekunle Olayinka, stated this while recounting the achievements of the Office of Works during the on-going state Ministerial Press Briefing, in commemoration of the 2nd Year of the 2nd Term in Office of the administration of Governor Sanwo-Olu and the Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, in Lagos State.
Olayinka, on Monday, stated that in the last one year, the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration had kept track of fulfilling its promise to complete projects inherited from past administrations in the State.
The Multi-Agency Building Project is a multi-storey building consisting of 3 blocks on a 2.01-hectare Land Mass. Block B consists of 8 floors, while blocks A and C are 5 floors each. The 3 blocks have a Penthouse on the last floor. The first two floors of each block are earmarked for parking, while the upper floors are meant for office accommodation. The Pent-Houses are exclusively for conferencing.
The other features of this Project include 2 elevators, staircases, reception lobbies, canteen and kitchens for each block, conveniences, central air conditioning systems, a fully equipped power house with accessories, a landscaped environment with covered drains, perimeter fencing, suspended milling arcades, and car park spaces for over 700 vehicles.
The Special Adviser said the Revenue House would offer a one-stop shop for revenue services. The building is proposed to accommodate all revenue and tax collecting agencies of the State under one roof in the Central Business District, Ikeja, close to the State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.
The project is at over 70% completion and has so far generated employment for about 250 people in the State.
The Lagos Inland Revenue Service (LIRS), and other revenue agencies will be housed in the complex. Keeping the revenue agencies under a roof, Olayinka said, is an idea to improve the individual capacity for overall efficiency, synergy, and collective delivery of their mandates, ensuring improved revenue generation through a conducive office environment.
To further create office space for Lagos State Government Staff and provide a conducive work environment, the Administration embarked upon the reconstruction of Ile-Pako (Wooden Block), by the main entrance of the Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.
The Project comprises 53 offices on 5 Floors (4 Suspended Floors).
Olayinka mentioned that although the completion of these buildings took a bit longer than anticipated, the Office of Works has focused and remained responsive to the administration’s vision based on the THEMES+ Agenda to continue bridging the gap between the required infrastructure and the current infrastructure projects in a way that generates economic growth and enables the people to function.
While promising to complete all ongoing building infrastructure projects that will become the bedrock of the legacy of the Sanwo-Olu Administration, the Special Adviser said the government, through the Office of Works, has continued to deliberately invest in building infrastructure as one of the platforms used for discharging the social contract we signed with Lagosians. “Through our projects, we have continuously provided jobs for hundreds of our people and provided impactful economic succour to those living in the State,” Olayinka said.
According to him, one of the strategies adopted to bridge the infrastructure gap in the State is to deliberately improve on the maintenance and management of existing infrastructure assets in a way that would preserve the quality of approach to sustainability by ensuring routine maintenance of existing assets to ensure that infrastructure assets operate as initially intended in a long-lasting manner and the continuous rehabilitation and upgrade of new iconic infrastructure,” he emphasised.
The Special Adviser said that based on this strategic thrust, the Office of Works serves as a consultant to all MDAS, and many projects have been successfully delivered, with many others still in active progress. 8 new building Infrastructure projects have been delivered, while works are steadily progressing on 28 others.
He identified some of the buildings that the Office is working on to include, construction of New Massey Children’s Hospital (Main Building & Multi-Level Car Park); Construction of Psychiatric Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre, Ketu-Ejirin, Epe; Construction of Hostel Annexe at Lagos State College of Nursing, Igando, Alimosho L.G.A; Completion Works of The Multi-Agency Office Complex, Alausa; Construction And Furnishing of Office Complex, Lecture Theatre With 750 Seating Capacity, Tutorial Rooms And Laboratory for Lagos State University of Science And Technology (LASUSTECH), Ikorodu Campus, Lagos State; Construction And Furnishing of Office Complex, Lecture Theatre with 750 Seating Capacity, Tutorial Rooms And Laboratory For Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), Ijanikin, Lagos State.
Others are: construction of E-Gis Headquarters, Alausa; Construction of Police Community Relation Committee (PCRC) Hall And Renovation of Alausa Barrack Police Station, Alausa; Reconstruction of Lekki Ancient Town Divisional Police Station, Lekki Town, Lekki Local Council Development Area, Lagos State; Construction of 460 Lecture Theatre At Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), Noforija, Epe Campus, Lagos; Construction of Central Library Building, Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos; Construction of a 1,500-Bed Psychiatric Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre in Ketu Ejinrin, and the Remodelling of the University of Lagos Main Gate.
“The Sanwo-Olu administration has, no doubt, demonstrated that the restoration of public infrastructure facilities remains vital, citing extensive renovations on many office buildings that are ongoing in several Ministries within the Secretariat.
According to the Special Adviser, the Lagos State Infrastructure Asset Management Agency (LASIAMA) has also implemented several projects “to improve and maintain public infrastructure assets, creating employment and opportunities for small/medium-scale businesses to thrive.”
He, however, called for the strategic participation of the private sector, noting that notwithstanding these building infrastructures are testimonial of result driven administration, “we are convinced that the future of any meaningful infrastructure delivery should be private-sector driven, with the Government strengthening the operational environment and legal framework for Private Sector Participation,”
While charging the Organised Private Sector to leverage the endless opportunities of the strategic position of Lagos as one of the fastest-growing economies in the world to be solution providers, he added that
Lagos State is open to collaboration with interested investors to support the ongoing efforts of the administration to effect key reforms in transportation, environment, public infrastructure, and tourism sectors to further put the State on a sound footing for economic growth and development,” he said.
He assured that the Government will continue to maintain the available infrastructure and provide a conducive environment to accommodate the growing and shifting population in Lagos State.
