KICNEWS

Tag: Lagos

  • Day 4: Violence erupts at Lagos protest as hoodlums disperse demonstrators

    Day 4: Violence erupts at Lagos protest as hoodlums disperse demonstrators

    Day 4: Violence erupts at Lagos protest as hoodlums disperse demonstrators

    On Sunday, hoodlums disrupted the fourth day of a peaceful protest at Gani Fawehinmi Park in Ojota, Lagos State.

     

    The demonstration, which began without incident, saw a significant escalation around 10:30 a.m.

     

    Tensions flared when a lawyer identified only as JP urged protesters to leave the site, citing President Bola Tinubu’s recent national address.

     

    0.00 / 0.00

    However, a faction led by 70-year-old Adegboyega Adeniji of Peace Action Transformation insisted on continuing the protest.

     

    The police intervened, attempting to persuade the remaining protesters to disperse. Moments later, a group of individuals, whom the protesters alleged were hired to disrupt the event, emerged from across the street and began chasing them away.

     

    By 11:30 a.m., the situation had deteriorated as the group of hoodlums returned and forced all protesters out of the area. The police have since established a presence at the park.

     

    Earlier in the day, security agents had restricted protesters from marching beyond the designated area at Gani Fawehinmi Park. The protesters complied and returned to the specified location.

     

    The on Sunday. In previous days, police responses included the use of tear gas, drawing criticism from civil society organizations.

     

     

  • Lagos must convey protesters to designated parks, group reacts to court ruling

    Lagos must convey protesters to designated parks, group reacts to court ruling

    Lagos must convey protesters to designated parks, group reacts to court ruling

    31st July 2024

     

     

    Sanwo-Olu

    Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu

    Kindly share this story:

     

    One of the groups organising the proposed nationwide protests, the Take It Back Movement, has described the judgment obtained by the Lagos State Government as an abuse of judicial privilege to stifle citizens’ freedom of association.

     

    A Lagos State High Court had, on Tuesday, restricted protesters participating in the nationwide protest to specific locations within the state.

     

    Justice Emmanuel Ogundare, while ruling on an ex parte application by the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, (SAN), ordered that protests could only take place at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota and Peace Park in Ketu.

     

    However, in a statement on Wednesday, the Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, Lagos, Adekunle Taofeek, said the state government must bear the cost of moving protesters from several designated areas in the state to venues ordered by the court.

     

    He said, “We frown at this abuse of judicial privilege to stifle freedom of association. The movement, at an emergency meeting, wishes to inform you that since this was your administration’s decision, you must bear responsibility for the movement of protesters from several destinations in Lagos to and from Peace Park in Ketu and Gani Fawehinmi Justice Park in Ojota in Lagos.”

     

    Taofeek said some of the agreed designated convergence points for participating citizens are Alausa Secretariat, ⁠Lekki Toll Gates, Ikorodu Bus Park, Okota Link Bridge, LASU Campus gates, Iyana Ipaja Underbridge, and Agege Pen Cinema.

     

    “You will soon be informed of other designated convergence points for protesters,” he added.

     

    Related News

    Taofeek stated that the buses must arrive at the designated areas by 6 am and return by 6 pm to convey the protesters back to their destinations.

     

    He said, “The buses to be provided must be clean, safe and air-conditioned. The buses must arrive at these designated areas as early as 6 am and return protesters to their convergence points at 6 pm every night from August 1 to 10, 2024.

     

    “The protest days may drag beyond 10 days, so the Lagos State Government is advised to make contingency plans for the dusting of these actions.”

     

    Taofeek warned that failure to make the buses available, the protesters would march to the court and designated parks in the city daily.

     

    He said, “Your failure to provide buses for the protesters means they (protesters) would begin march/walk to the court designated parks in the city on a daily basis for the duration of the #EndBadGovernance direct actions.”

     

    Taofeek, therefore, told the Lagos State Government that there would be rallies and processions during the protest.

     

    He said, “Finally, be informed that there will be rallies and processions throughout the #EndbadGovernance actions, so your bus operators are advised to find and park a safe distance from the areas designated by protesters for these activities.”

  • Lagos plans to get N200 billion annually from taxing remote workers

    Lagos plans to get N200 billion annually from taxing remote workers

    Lagos plans to get N200 billion annually from taxing remote workers

    Lagos State government

    1. The Lagos State government has unveiled an ambitious plan to generate N200 billion annually by expanding its income tax base to include remote workers and leveraging digital solutions for enhanced revenue collection.

     

    According to the synopsis document for the EKO Revenue Plus Summit, which is expected to hold on September 25th and 26th, 2024, with the theme “Unlocking New Revenue Streams for Lagos State”, this southwest state plans to raise N5 trillion internally generated revenue (IGR) from four major sectors.

     

    One of such sectors is the digital economy, through which Lagos State plans to introduce a Resident Global Digital Citizen Tax Management System, targeting remote workers, foreign firms, and digital influencers.

    This system will also involve accreditation and licensing of digital economy operators, supported by a robust platform including e-Portal, Market Place, and a Recovery Platform.

     

    According to the synopsis document, the initiative’s estimated budget is N250 million, covering portal construction, data mining, partnerships, stakeholder engagements, and communications.

    The southwest state aims to generate N200 billion annually from about two million people in this area.

     

    Other revenue targets for the digital economy sector

     

    Digitalization of Government Services and Data Monetization: Lagos State plans to develop a public data marketplace to license and monetize data from various government services. Key components include the Lagos ProveIT App and the Lagos State Document Validation and Authentication App. This initiative is expected to cost N500 million and potentially generate N50 billion per year.

     

    Lagos State Fintech Hub: The state plans to establish a fintech hub to support digital payments, mobile money, lending, and crowdfunding. The projected budget is N5 billion, with an estimated annual revenue of N100 billion from vendor transaction fees and platform services.

     

    Lagos State Software Development Center: It also targets a new hub focused on developing software solutions for finance, SMEs, and retail sectors is planned. With a budget of N500 million, the initiative aims to generate N150 billion annually from subscriptions and service fees.

     

    Lagos State Digital Economy Acceleration Hub: This initiative involves selecting and developing 100 innovative startups through a hackathon and subsequent support, with an estimated cost of N12 billion and expected revenue of N100 billion per year from profit-sharing models.

     

    Lagos State Advertisement Network: The creation of a state-owned advertisement network and approval management platform is anticipated. With a budget of N500 million, the projected annual revenue is N15 billion from income fees and permits.

     

    Blockchain and Tokenization Agenda: Lagos State plans to implement tokenization for real estate, infrastructure, and intellectual property. This project will require N500 million and aims to generate N100 billion annually from income fees and permits.

     

    Collaboration with FGN on Digital Service Tax (DST): The state plans to work with the Federal Government to implement DST, generating revenue from global digital platforms operating in Nigeria. This collaboration has a budget of N750 million and is projected to bring in N50 billion annually.

     

    What you should know

    With the EKO Revenue Plus Summit happening in September, Lagos State plans to hit N5 trillion in internally generated revenue (IGR) under the current governorship of Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

     

    A part of the document read: “Increasing Lagos State IGR to 5 Trillion Naira in the life of the current administration requires a comprehensive and innovative approach that leverages technology, strengthens tax administration, expands the tax base and explores new revenue stream options, especially in the non-tax areas, while optimizing the existing processes.”

     

    The Lagos State government has set an ambitious target to significantly boost its internally generated revenue (IGR) as part of the Lagos New Money Initiatives.

     

    The plan aims to propel the IGR to a staggering N5 trillion by unlocking an additional N2.73 trillion stream of revenue.

     

    This initiative is designed to build upon the existing IGR framework target of N1.25 trillion, thus creating a substantial financial foundation for the state.

     

    The Lagos State government has identified four core sub-sectors of the state’s economy as key areas for additional revenue generation, aiming to achieve an incremental IGR of approximately N2.73 trillion.

     

    These sub-sectors, which include the Property Industry, Digital Economy, Informal Sector, and Circular Economy, are each poised to contribute significantly to the state’s financial growth.

     

    The Property Industry alone is expected to generate N1.5 trillion, while the Digital Economy is projected to add N750 billion. The Informal Sector is anticipated to bring in N460 billion, and the Circular Economy is expected to contribute N20 billion.

  • Lagos govt arrests 40 persons overnight street trading

    Lagos govt arrests 40 persons overnight street trading

    Lagos govt arrests 40 persons overnight street trading

    Lagos Taskforce impounds 11,300 motorcycles, arrests 9, 664 offenders in 2021

    The Lagos State Taskforce on Environment and Special Offences, Enforcement Unit says it has arrested 40 persons for allegedly trading on the street at night and causing heavy traffic in Ikeja.

     

    The agency’s Spokesperson, Mr Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, confirmed the arrests to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday.

     

    Abdulraheem said that the suspects had been operating illegal night street trading and restaurant at Alade Avenue, Orishe and Johnson Streets, all off Obafemi Awolowo Way in Ikeja.

     

    0.00 / 0.00

    “They have converted streets to mini-markets and restaurants, thereby causing serious human/vehicular traffic obstructions and serious environmental pollution along those routes and adjoining streets,” he said.

     

    The spokesperson said that the two-day night raid led by the agency’s Chairman, CSP Adetayo Akerele, was carried out when the traders erected makeshift shops and placed barricades on parts of the road, causing traffic impediments.

     

    Abdulraheem noted that the suspects also flouted the state’s laid-down environmental laws through indiscriminate disposal of waste and solid materials into the gutters in the area.

     

    He said: “The raid will be a continuous exercise as a step made in the interest of the citizenry who have longed for solutions to the menace of street trading.

     

    “Some of these locations serve as a haven for suspected criminals and they enjoy the proceeds of their criminal activities there.

     

    “The flooding experienced in some parts of the state is also as a result of improper disposal of waste that end up clogging the drainage channels.

     

    “They also sell drugs indiscriminately there, which is counter-productive to the society,” he further said.

     

    The spokesperson appealed to other recalcitrant street traders and vendors to relocate their stores to designated outlets designed for trading and vacate the streets and inner roads.