Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the Labour Party governorship candidate for the 2023 Governorship elections in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, stated that his administration will tackle unemployment by changing the school curriculum, and giving students vocational and digital skills that can earn a decent living.
He added if elected, he would unbundle the water corporation and create a water protection policy to stop sand fillings that disrupt the flow of water, adding that a new waste management policy would focus on separation from the homes into plastic, organics and paper.
Rhodes –Viviour disclosed this on Sunday during the Lagos State Governorship debate organized by The Platform.
Equitable Distribution: He stated most of Lagos state’s school population is in the public school system, however, there is an issue of inequitable distribution of public schools which forces some students to trek very long distances to school, he said:
- “The populations of people going to schools are in the public school system, the issue is with the inequitable distribution to schools,
- “Creating these bottlenecks is a significant problem for children to get to schools, we need to understand the social aspect of things, and we have 2 million pupils out of schools that are free
- “There is another element making it this way, including the welfare and mental state of their caregivers, who is collecting data on that? That is why we need a robust LGA system, second issue we have is with quality, as it does not give skills you need in life.
Skills upgrade: Rhodes-Vivour added that his administration, will improve training and after-school programmes to give students an edge, he said:
- “We will improve employable skills, vocational and after-school programmes
- “We will look at the curriculum; we need to look at our education that gives them skills that can earn a decent living.
- “We will ensure that every application, we need to start infusing digital technology in our education, giving them access to computers.
Water and Waste: He noted that his administration would unbundle the water corporation and focus on waste infrastructure in riverine areas, and also adopt a new waste management strategy that helps with biofuel development.
- “We need to unbundle the water corporation, and focus on areas with the worst infrastructure especially the riverine areas, especially with flooding, as Lagos Does not have a Wetland Protection Policy, people just sand fill and block natural movement of water.
- “In my government, we will have a wetland protection plan, as they are nature natural development of water, we see what currently with the sand fill of Makoko, Mainland will start flooding next season,
- “With waste management, we would separate from home, organic, plastics and paper, incentivised at LGA and go directly to the LGA for biofuel development.
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The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu revealed he signed the N1.768 trillion 2023 Budget of Continuity into law last week, which he says will focus on completing ongoing infrastructure projects.
He also noted that funding for the second phase of the Blue Line from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko has equally been approved in the budget, adding:
- “The implementation of the budget would see to the completion of various ongoing capital projects, including the final construction phase of the 37-kilometre Lagos Red Rail Line from Agbado to Ebute Metta.”