Sanwo-Olu approves 10 hectares of land for workers’ housing scheme

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Saturday approved 10 hectares of land for the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress Of Nigeria (TUC) for the purpose of housing scheme for workers.

The governor also offered to build a befitting headquarters for the unions in the next 12 months, with official cars for its leadership.

The two housing schemes will be built by the labour unions with funds from Federal Mortgage Bank while the Ministry of Housing will supervise the project.

The presentation of the documents of the land, located in Idera, Ibeju Lekki and Badagry, was done at this year’s Workers Day ceremony, with the theme: “COVID-19 Pandemic, social and economic crises: Challenges for decent jobs, social protection and peoples welfare,” held at Mobolaji Johnson Stadium Arena, Onikan.

Speaking at the rally, Sanwo-Olu said a productive workforce remained the backbone of a prosperous society, asserting that Lagos workers were critical stakeholders in the growth of the state’s economy and, therefore, deserved more than just an increment in the minimum wage.

Sanwo-Olu said his administration, in the last 12 months, had initiated welfare programmes specifically targeted at improving workers’ welfare and helping them to stabilise their livelihoods, following the economic disruption occasioned by spread of COVID-19 in the state.

“Today, I am handing over 10 hectares of land to organised labour unions in Lagos State to help mortgage scheme and build a housing estate for workers. The title documents to lands have been approved and I am happy to hand them over to the leaders of the labour unions at this occasion.

“This intervention is part of our interventions to reduce burden on our workers whose means of livelihood have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

The governor, while appreciating the sacrifice and selflessness of frontline workers in the COVID-19 response, said labour unions shall henceforth have a representative on the Board of the Pension Commission, pledging that the state government would extend the courtesy to other labour-centric statutory bodies.

He asked the organised labour to immediately forward the name of their representative for the pension board.