Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has said it will continue to work with developing nations and sub-national governments like Lagos State to reduce poverty and increase standard of living through support for education, climate change, health and skill development.
The agency made this declaration in Bern, the Capital of Switzerland on Monday January 21, 2019 during a visit by Babajide Sanwo-Olu, All Progressive Congress Governorship candidate in Lagos to the SDC headquarters where he held talks with Ambassador Ralph Friedlander to promote his THEME development agenda for a greater Lagos.
Sanwo-Olu noted that as the 5th largest economy in Africa, Lagos needs partnerships with multilateral institutions, global companies and other private investors at home and abroad to expand the current size of the state economy put at $136billion dollars in GDP.
“We are here to solicit for your support to support our State to grow and create more opportunities for our people to grow socially and economically. Our THEME agenda has the people at the centre of it. We are focused on education, health, environment and making our state a 21st century economy with world class infrastructure in transportation, power, security, industrialization and technology. We are hopeful to win the election and we are already planning to hit the ground running from our first day in office. This visit to SDC is to prepare trhe ground for working with you. We shall knock on your door when the time comes because we believe our people will vote for us to implement our agenda for a greater Lagos.
In his response, Ambassador Friedlander said Switzerland is a leading country in promoting small businesses through skill acquisition and vocational trainings and will be ready to work with Lagos State to help develop the right skills for young people to acquire right skills for economic productivity.
“I have seen your areas of focus in your development agenda. Education, health and economic opportunities to lift the poor out of poverty through skill development are areas where we have expertise. We will work with you. Nigeria and Switzerland have solid relationship and we will continue to strengthen that through our work with the central government and we will work with state Lagos State.
