Lagos State government has emphasized the media’s crucial role in achieving inclusive governance and sustainable development. Deputy Governor Dr. Obafemi Hamzat highlighted the media’s role as the Fourth Estate of the Realm, shaping public discourse and driving national development. He stressed the importance of media partnership in communicating government initiatives and engaging citizens.
Addressing concerns about negative narratives, the Deputy Governor urged the media practitioners to focus more on developmental issues, emphasizing that while criticism was necessary and welcomed, balanced reporting that highlights both challenges and progress was essential for public understanding and support of the government’s developmental initiatives.
Explaining the rationale behind some controversial urban renewal decisions, the Deputy Governor said that Lagos faces three major existential threats which are rising water levels, extreme rainfall, and heat.
He pushed that taking certain choices, like expelling structures in particular regions was not self-assertive but a vital safety measure against natural challenges debilitating the city’s future.
Underlining the require for more grounded collaboration between government and media partners, the Appointee Representative expressed, “This kind of exchange is precisely what is required since when the media gets it the setting of government choices, they can superior advise the public.”
On his portion, the Extraordinary Consultant to the Representative on Political, Administrative and Civic Engagement, Dr. Afolabi Tajudeen, expressed that the government looked for to preserve an open channel of communication with the media to guarantee exact dispersal of data approximately the government’s exercises and activities as the media was another mode of citizen engagement for the government.
Highlighting a few of the programs of the Office, Afolabi said the Office had centered on key zones such as voters’ instruction, administrative straightforwardness, and expanding civic engagement and interest among Lagos inhabitants.
The Extraordinary Consultant included that in an exertion to address the continuous socio-economic challenges confronted by Lagos inhabitants, the State Government, beneath the authority of Senator Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had made critical strides in improving social welfare.
He expressed that the government had dispensed over N700m to help 2,344 inhabitants with significant budgetary help, counting well-being costs, lodging needs, trade bolster, and school expenses beneath the Sanwo-Olu Tunes in Program.
