Lagos warns telcos against illegal digging of land

The Lagos State Government has warned telecoms operators against illegal land digging for fibre cable laying.

Rather, the state said operators should key into the ongoing fibre laying project the state is handling across the 20 local government areas and all the local council development areas.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Science and Technology, Hakeem Fahm, made this known during the 2021 ministerial press briefing to commemorate the second year of Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration.

Fahm said Lagos implemented a 3,000 km of Fibre Metro Network connection in 2020 and an additional 3,000km in 2021 across the state as part of the comprehensive Smart City Programme that seeks to provide a 24-hour driven economy.

He called on the private sector, especially the telecoms operators, to key into the project, plug into the ducts system “and avoid illegal land digging”.

He said “LASIMRA will monitor that and ensure that fibre projects are also done neatly across the state”.

Fahm said that the implementation of the Lagos State Smart City project is to enable governance, connectivity and environmental security, saying the use of technology would make reporting of security incidents easy to reach, and promote access to major stakeholders in the government.

The commissioner reiterated that the project would also incorporate smart technologies into transport infrastructure surveillance and security, healthcare services, education, government services and advance the technological development of Lagos through the provision of affordable Internet access.

Speaking on the installation of CCTV cameras, the Commissioner said: “Safeguarding Lagos has gone beyond the ordinary. We have built new data rooms, install more cameras and deploy technology in our operations, especially as regards security and traffic management.”

Fahm said that upon completion, the project will advance Lagos state economy by becoming a 24/hr driven commercial centre, which would allow companies to operate in a safe, secure and smart environment that would create more jobs and increase the GDP of the state.

The commissioner described the Lagos Smart City project as a transformation being achieved through technology to enhance the ease of doing business, adding that it involved stationing of security cameras around the state.

Fahm explained that the state is using technology to facilitate integrated policies and services that allow access to a range of public services, and also improve standards of living through online service delivery.

‘This comes in various forms such as tax submission and registration of businesses, reducing the administrative burden on the public and private sectors and improving transparency. E-governance effectively deployed can have a significant impact on poverty reduction and increase the efficiency of public institutions,” he added.

Meanwhile, the commissioner has called on Lagosians to ensure they register for the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA).

Giving more insight into the LASRAA project, the General Manager, Ibilola Kasumu, said there is a pre-registration portal, which residents of the states can log in, fill in their details. The Guardian