Sanwo-Olu receives approval letter for Lekki airport

The letter was presented to the governor by Hadi Sirika, minister of aviation, at the Ehingbeti Lagos Economic summit on Tuesday.

Speaking at the event, Sirika said the airport will link Nigeria to the world, and open Lagos to more international economic partnerships.

George made the disclosure during a media roundtable in Alausa, Ikeja.

He said the state government had sought and obtained approval from the federal government for the construction of the new airport.

“The project is expected to take off in the year 2023, it will be constructed on 3,500 hectares of land, master plan and aeronautical designs are in place; while studies are ongoing about strategies, funding and other issues, after which the project will be taken to the market place,” he had said.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has announced plans to institute a health insurance scheme for theatre practitioners in the State.

Governor Sanwo-Olu announced the health insurance scheme during a dinner with veterans in the Yoruba Nollywood industry at the Lagos House Marina on Monday night.

The announcement by Governor Sanwo-Olu was commended by the Nollywood actors and actresses at the event who appreciated the Governor for deeming it fit to take care of the health of the theatre practitioners, especially the veterans in the industry.

Sanwo-Olu, who said he would pay the insurance premium cover for the theatre practitioners, most of whom are aging, said the Nigerian movie industry and practitioners had played key roles in shaping development of Lagos.

He said: “We realise that your industry is one of the highest employers of labour. You have continued to provide succour and means of livelihoods to a lot of citizens quietly. More importantly, you give freshness to our lives through your stories. There is always a lesson and information to learn from the experiences you paint in your works. You fill in the creative space of our society and project good values about our culture, way of life and race.

“To further enhance our intervention, we are going to initiate an insurance scheme to assist the Nollywood and give the practitioners free access to health care in public health facilities. This scheme will be specially categorised for professionals in the film business. This is yet another token of what the Government can offer those who have shaped our society. The insurance scheme would come in handy for practitioners who cannot afford medical expenses and prevent them from seeking assistance in an embarrassing manner.”

The Governor said his administration would continue to contribute required resources to the entertainment and creative industry to make life easy for the theatre practitioners. He also pledged to provide additional intervention funds for those in the Nollywood industry.

Sanwo-Olu, in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown, approved a N1 billion intervention fund for the film industry. The intervention was as a single-digit soft loan initiated to cushion the effect of the pandemic, among other incentives, for the creative and entertainment industry.

The fund has been accessed by many practitioners in Nollywood, who used the grant to fund for movie production. The additional support, Sanwo-Olu promised, will boost the creativity and innovation in the sector.

“This is a new beginning of the journey that will further strengthen Nollywood; we are going to be interacting more with every layer in the industry and provide opportunities where necessary. We want to be a partner in bringing this noble industry out for more growth and celebrate the industry veterans while they are alive,” Sanwo-Olu said.

Speaking earlier, some of the theatre practitioners at the event, including, Adebayo Salami, a.k.a Oga Bello, Jide Kosoko, Adewale Elesho, Idowu Phillips, a.k.a Iya Rainbow and  Mahmoud Alli-Balogun, commended the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration for carrying out people-oriented programmes and projects which according to them are people-oriented qualify him for a second term in office.

The theatre practitioners during the event unanimously endorsed Governor Sanwo-Olu for second term and promised to work for his victory in the 2023 governorship election in Lagos State.

They also expressed their support for the candidature of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who, according to them, has done a lot for theatre practitioners.