Lagos State Government has said it will continue to chart the course for strengthening resilience initiatives to accelerate growth.
The Lagos State Resilience Office (LASRO) made this known when it hosted the 2024 Lagos Resilience Forum with the theme: “Leveraging Resilience for Lagos Development Trajectory”, held recently at Balmoral Convention Centre, Lagos Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja.
Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Ope George, in his opening remarks, emphasised the importance of collective action, inclusivity, diversity, collaboration, and partnerships in building resilience in Lagos State.
“The Year 2024 Lagos Resilience Forum is an all-inclusive and collaborative engagement of diverse resilience-building stakeholders across various sectors convened to reassess the State’s resilience-building efforts to improve the resilience of the State”, said Mr. George.
He emphasised that the State’s resilience strategy is tailored to addressing the unique challenges of Lagos State and that they are committed to mainstreaming resilience thinking, collaborative engagements, and monitoring and evaluation to ensure its successful implementation.
He noted that the forum would focus on the economic resilience of Lagos as a global city, the economic resilience of the State in the light of the global recession and the youth bulge, how the State can leverage international partnerships, the Socio-environmental resilience of Lagos as a sustainable city, and the resilience of the people of Lagos.
The Chief Resilience Officer of Lagos State, Dr. Folayinka Dania in her welcome address, underscored the importance of resilience in the face of acute shocks and chronic stresses.
Dr. Dania highlighted the achievements of LASRO, including the development of the Lagos Resilience Strategy (LRS), which provides a framework for protecting Lagos against present and future shocks and stresses.
“Our resilience strategy is tailored to address the unique challenges of Lagos State, and we are committed to mainstreaming resilience thinking, collaborative engagements, and monitoring and evaluation to ensure its successful implementation”, she said.
The CRO emphasised the need for collective action to build a resilient Lagos, saying, “We cannot achieve resilience alone. We need the collective efforts of all stakeholders to identify emerging issues, share knowledge, and leverage resources to build a Lagos that can survive, adapt, and grow in the face of any challenge”.
The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Adedoyin Salami, former Chairman of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and former Chief Economic Adviser to the President of Nigeria.
Dr. Adedoyin Salami, the keynote speaker, stressed the importance of intentionality and resilience in achieving development goals. He commended the Lagos State government for establishing an Office of Resilience, demonstrating intentionality in addressing challenges.
The event brought together stakeholders from various sectors to identify emerging issues and solutions to be integrated into the State’s resilience-building agenda towards accelerating the State’s development.
