Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said that his administration will deepen its relationship with the Indian government culturally, economically, and medically for knowledge sharing and human capacity building.
Governor Sanwo-Olu expressed this commitment on Monday during a courtesy visit by the High Commissioner of India to Nigeria, Mr. Balasub Ramanian, at the Lagos House, Ikeja, noting that Nigeria and India, who have “so much in common that they have learned and will continue to learn from each other,” had both enjoyed several decades of relationship “even before our independence.”
The governor commended the Indian companies in Nigeria for being the second largest employer of labour after the Federal Government, saying that his administration would continue to improve the Ease of Doing Business and provide a safe and secure environment for businesses to thrive in Lagos State.
Governor Sanwo-Olu acknowledged the support of the High Commissioner of India to Nigeria and other officials when the fellows of the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy visited India last month for their internship.
“There have been several decades of relationship between India and Nigeria even before our independence. India and Nigeria have so much in common that they have learned and will continue to learn from each other. We will continue to create a mutually beneficial partnership between the two countries.
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“For us to take the first set of the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy fellows to India wasn’t a difficult decision at all. We looked at the economy that has similar issues and challenges with us but have taken its own issues forward and begin to make good sense of it. We saw that in India and I told them that is where you need to go because that is the only place you will see it, feel it and also learn.
“I have heard from them that the trip worth every moment of it and I am sure they are better citizens. There are things they have learnt and things they have seen. We will continue in that trajectory,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The High Commissioner of India to Nigeria, Mr. Ramanian, earlier in his remark, expressed the readiness of the Indian Government to strengthen the country’s bilateral relationship with Lagos on capacity building, technology, scholarships, and Corporate Assembly in line with the Sanwo-Olu administration’s THEMES+ development agenda.
The envoy, who noted that Lagos is to Nigeria what Mumbai is to India as the financial capital of the country, made a promise for more collaboration to increase Indian companies over N27 billion investments in Nigeria.
