EHINGBETI 2012: WE'LL LIFT LAGOSIANS OUT OF POVERTY - AKABUEZE

Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, who also doubles as the Central Planning Committee, Lagos Economic Summit (Ehingbeti 2012), Mr. Ben Akabueze, has affirmed that the Lagos State Government was poised to lift Lagosians out of poverty through the Ehingbeti 2012 summit.

This year's summit with the theme: 'From Brics to Brincs' will focus mainly on four key areas including power, agricultural, transportation and Housing and Urban renewal sectors (PATH) among others.

Addressing pressmen on the 2-day summit scheduled to hold between April 23rd to 25th 2012, Akabueze noted that the summit has moved from a diagnostic to a solution driven phase, adding that the government was committed to alleviating the plight of Lagosians in the areas of poverty, unemployment and power through the use of agricultural and agro allied materials.

He said ''Ehingbeti 2012, we will be focusing our attention on four key areas or sectors, they are the power sector, agriculture and agro allied sector, transportation sector and housing and urban renewal sector (PATH)''

''It should be stressed here that the agriculture and the agro allied sector is one of the key component of this summit as we are poised towards elevating Lagosians out of poverty line through its great potentials and produces,'' he added.

He however hinted that the government would need over N20 million to adequately feed people from processed food crops. Akabueze further noted that another area where agriculture could lift the populace out of poverty was in the area of creating massive employment for the teaming population of Lagosians who are unemployed at the moment.

'Through agricultural produces and agro allied, we  can create employment for the teaming unemployed youths, bring investment into our country and Lagos in particular, boost the economic growth as well as create multiple growth in other sectors'' he stressed.

He added that materials gotten from the agricultural sector could be used in other industries like the textile industries, the power industries among others with the aim of supporting such industries.

Affirming that Lagos State was key to economic growth in the country, Akabueze noted that Lagos has greater part to play in galvanizing the nation's journey to achieving vision 20:2020 being the commercial center of the country.

''Lagos is the heartbeat of economic growth of this country. Nigeria cannot do anything economically without Lagos. The fact remains that Lagos is filled with greater potentials and it will take ideas to bring out these potentials economically. So, that is what Ehingbeti 2012 Lagos is all about in its totality,'' he stressed.