The Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with foremost fintech company, eTransact, to curb unregulated development, manage setbacks and open spaces, and improve the beautification of the state’s environment.
Under terms of the deal, the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development and eTransact will deploy an integrated technology solution for data collection, management, and digitisation of revenue collection processes from the informal business players operating on setbacks and Incidental Open Spaces in the state in order to regulate them and enhance the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
The Lagos Statement Government said the MoU was signed by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Omotayo Bamgbose-Martins, who was represented by Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on e-GIS and Planning Matters, Dr Olajide Babatunde and Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr. Oluwole Sotire, on behalf of the government and the Managing Director of eTransact, Mr. Niyi Toluwalope and Group Head, Legal of eTransact, Ms Eme Godwin, on behalf of the fintech.
Speaking at the signing, Babatunde said the initiative was a public-private partnership that would help to take care of the environment. He added that the MoU was for accountability, and to improve the IGR of Lagos State.
On his part, the Managing Director of eTransact, Niyi Toluwalope, said, “eTranzact is a premier technology solutions company in Nigeria. Today we are partnering with the Lagos State Government and LASPEMA for the enumeration and data management of the occupants of the setbacks and incidental open spaces within the city. We are licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria to provide this service.
“The Lagos State Government has taken this laudable initiative to identify the setbacks, enumerate the people on these setbacks, do the necessary data capture, and manage the entire setback infrastructure in the State so that it is structured; following the proper model for setbacks, improves beautification, improves transparency within the environment and ensures that our critical urban infrastructure is well laid out properly to ensure Lagos functions as a major critical landmark with global recognition.”
Also speaking, the General Manager of LASPEMA, TPL Daisi Oso said the agency was saddled with addressing challenges that were associated with managing and regulating all activities on setbacks so as to ensure orderliness while leveraging technology.
He said the agency is saddled with the deployment of drones for mappings, collaborating with other ministries, departments, and agencies on urban development to improve security and order in the use of land in tandem with the state’s developmental plans to enhance social and political sustainability of businesses.
Oso also disclosed that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in a bid to further align the LASPEMA’s mandate with the incumbent administration’s T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda graciously approved the partnership and the pilot project of some selected areas in Lagos State.
