Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday, declared that plans are ongoing to connect fibre optic cables to all public schools, educational institutions, health centres, government and para-public offices by mid-year 2021.

Sanwo-Olu disclosed this while speaking at the second edition of Art of Technology 2.0 held at Oriental Hotel in Lagos and themed: ‘Smart Data, Smarter Lagos.’

Highlighting the need to accelerate the coverage of the State by the optic fibre infrastructure, Sanwo-Olu said the deployment of 6,000 km of cables across Lagos State will raise the level of Science and Technology adaptation to create a smarter city.

“Art of Technology 2.0, is focusing on Smarter Lagos, Smarter City. For us as a government, we have developed what we call a Smart City Agenda, and we are looking at the six pillars of economic growth, in which the third pillar talked about Education and Technology’, Sanwo-Olu stated.

The Governor reaffirmed his commitment to digitalising operations in the State, vowing to leave no stone unturned to give residents sound governance through data gathering.

“We need to know ourselves, so with data obtained from Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA) and other agencies, we shall be able to plan well, take sound decisions and make better policies.

“All these efforts are geared towards making Lagos a Smarter City in every sector of our economy in line with our T.H.E.M.E.S economic agenda,” Mr. Governor declared.

In his address, Nigeria’s Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, who joined the event virtually, said President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was working round the clock to make Nigeria a smart country, noting that human creativeness and ingenuity were major assets needed to make the society a smart place.

Osinbajo gave an assurance that the Federal Government will continue to pursue its digital and technology-driven agenda to keep the country at the same pace as the rest of the world, declaring that Smart Data makes Smart Governance.

“Data is everything, we are gathering economic data, demographic data and other data coupled with our resourcefulness to manage over two billion people. So we must leverage technology and data for better plans, policy design and decision-making. Smart data makes smart Governance,” he said.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Innovation and Technology, Mr. Tunbosun Alake, in his presentation, emphasised the importance of digitising the Lagos economy, adding that the forum will give insight, listen, discuss and collaborate to make Lagos a smart, intelligent, data-driven city in line with the Education and Technology pillar of the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda

“We will employ science and technology in all activities towards improving the quality life of Lagosians”, Alake declared.