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Fashola Advocates Closer Economic Ties Between France, Nigeria

Sep 3, 2009 - Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Thursday called for closer economic ties between France and Nigeria, adding that such a partnership can only produce a win-win outcome.

Governor Fashola who spoke at the State House, Ikeja when a delegation from the Senate of the Federal Republic of France led by the President of the Franco-West African Friendship Parliamentary Group, Senator Jacques Legendre paid him a courtesy visit said Lagos has vast potentials, ready to be tapped.

“There are enough opportunities along the coast of Lagos, a coast length that starts from our border with Republic of Benin, nearest border from Western axis from Lagos. it’s about 180 kilometres that is open for development, tourism and recreation”, the Governor said.

Continuing, Governor Fashola declared: “Our Government has taken the responsibilities at this stage to expand the 61 kilometres Lagos-Badagry Expressway and we are expanding its current four lanes to ten lanes that would in many ways, free movement of goods and services in the whole of West Africa”.

Governor Fashola noted that a time when the Nigerian President was the leader of ECOWAS provides the right environment for such an investment. “I think this is the biggest infrastructure commitment that we can make for the whole sub-region in order to open up international trade, so it would be huge opportunity now not only for French government to continue to do business with French-West Africa, but also with the largest trading port which is Lagos and Nigeria”.

“There are so many areas that we can work together, some French concerns like CFAO, MR BIGGS, SCOA and quite a number of them and I think as we go forward, quite a number of them will find opportunities in the emerging Lagos and Nigerian market,” the Governor noted.

Governor Fashola said that Lagos has positioned herself to develop a Free Trade Zone, which has 16,000 hectares of land and the master plan has been completed awaiting implementation.

He pointed out that the FTZ also provides opportunities and investment in utilities, power, water supply and roads that power the zone and sustain individual activities within the zone, adding that it provides an outlet for the international exchange of goods and services in a relatively tax free environment for all sorts of activities from light industry to oil and gas, to heavy industry and merchandise productions.

The Governor also, disclosed that Africa remains the key to solving the several challenges facing the world today pointing out that the continent will play its role of partner in providing support for the whole world.

Recounting the period when Africa used to be the source of cheap labour which accounted for the very bad experience of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, to the period when the continent became the source of raw material for many of the French and British trading companies who benefited from this extraction of raw materials from the continent, Governor Fashola declared that Africa is ready to play a new role in global development.

“Our continent is really blessed with so many things that sustains the whole planet – oil produce, agriculture produce, solid mineral and I think it is a well considered partnership that will mutually benefit the French and Nigerians”, the Governor said.

Governor Fashola recalled the visit of the French Prime Minister in May 2009 as a page turner which provided a new vista of African relationship and a reality of today’s world without frontier; borderless World in which new legal orders, new economic orders challenge everyone and a World that is changing so very quickly, adding that the visit of the Senators is a right step towards dealing with complexities and the challenges of the new world.

While responding to comments by the leader of the French delegation, Senator Jacques Legendre that the last time he came to Nigeria was in 1999, Governor Fashola said that a lot has happened since then. He declared: “ What started in 1999 has turned out so far to be the longest democratic experience that Nigeria has had in our 49 years history. It has run uninterrupted for ten years in spite of all fears and I think that it can only get bigger, it can only get better and it can only get stronger “, he concluded.

In his address, Senator Legendre expressed his country’s desire to renew its interest in Nigeria at the cross road of Sub-Saharan Africa, adding that the visit was aimed at appraising the progress made in Nigeria and in Lagos State to ensure fair and balanced reporting.

The team leader added that the meeting with the Lagos State helmsman will also afford a renewed partnership between France and Nigeria, particularly in the area of support for development infrastructure in Lagos State, along the areas of water and sanitation, transport and housing.

He also pledged to report to the French Government, the expectations expressed by the Nigerian authorities, which will determine the framework and modalities for Franco-Nigeria co-operation.

Among those present at the occasion were the Deputy Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly Hon. Mrs. Bola Badmus-Olujobi, Minority Leader – Hon. Hodewu Suru Avoseh, Deputy Chief Whip, Hon Lola Akande, Deputy Majority Leader – Dr Ajibayo Adeyeye, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, Special Adviser to the Governor, Mr. Sunny Ajose and the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Tourism and Inter-Governmental Relations, Mr. Ashamu Fadipe among others.