The Lagos State government yesterday boasted of its ability to combat any infectious diseases, be it Ebola, if it ever reared its head again in the state.
This was disclosed in Lagos by the state Governor, Babatunde Fashola at a programme tagged “Lagos Welcome Visitors”, organised by the state’s Ministry of Tourism in conjunction with the Ministry of Health.
The Governor called on foreigners willing to invest in Nigeria, to come to Lagos because the state was now free of infectious diseases as it successfully curbed the EVD.
The Governor was represented at the programme by the state’s Deputy Governor, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire.
The Governor said the state government had put measures in place before the Ebola outbreak that helped in containing the virus and prevented its spread in Nigeria.
He said, “Despite the fact that we did not expect Ebola in our state, we rose to the occasion and ensured that the disease was stamped out of the state and indeed Nigeria. Lagos being the economic nerve center of the country and the most populous state in the nation is aware of the importance of capacity building.
“We have over the years built our capacity to attend to any emergency knowing that Lagos belongs to all of us because we are conscious of the social contract we had with the people of the state, just as we are committed to good governance. The state more than ever before is safe and secure for visitors and tourists because it has always been our objective to make Lagos a city where all can live and work.”
On the impact of the EVD on the hospitality industry in the state, the General Manager of Wheatbaker Hotel, Simon Grinrod, said though hotels in the state did not record any case or suspected cases, the outbreak still affected their business but also helped in improving hygiene in hotels within the state.
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