In order to protect citizens’ health and life, the Lagos State Government claims to have developed the first multipurpose solar-powered vulcanising apparatus in the world.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, Mr. Daisi Oso, the general manager of the Lagos State Planning and Environmental Monitoring Agency (LASPEMA), stated this.
He talked with NAN on the eve of a plenary at the 31st Lagos Builders’ Conference, which was held in Lekki on Thursday and was hosted by the Lagos Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB).
“The Shifting Landscape: Redefining the Real Estate Industry” served as the conference’s topic.
Oso claimed that over 10,000 vulcanisers were working on the setbacks of Lagos roads, and the government was implementing technology to control their activities.
He added that it was also done to effectively reduce pollution and make Lagos a sustainable and habitable metropolis.
According to the general manager, the solar-powered vulcanising equipment would do away with the outdated techniques employed by vulcanizers, which put a strain on them and the general public.
He claimed that the outdated technique, which included heavy-duty jacks and unique parts, destroyed several tires.
“This machine is my idea, I conceptualised it to the glory of God.
“I now pushed it to some engineers who now interfaced with engineers abroad, and then of course, today, we have one of that equipment in Nigeria. It has been tested ruggedly, anyhow,” he said.
He said that his ministry had introduced the idea to the association of vulcanisers, a first of its kind globally, with the endorsement of the governor. They were eagerly awaiting the machines’ mass production.
The organisation members brought enormous tires from trucks and trailers to Mushin for a demonstration about a week ago, and Oso claimed they were astonished by how simple it was to remove and pump tires without tension, smoke, or noise.
He declared that LASPEMA had already begun compiling a database of vulcanizers and will soon release an app to allow the public to quickly discover those utilising green technology in all areas throughout the state.
“It is a new green technology. I challenge you to check it, there is nowhere in the world, and there is no place where you have a solar–powered pumping machine for vulcanisers. This is the first and it is just coming from the factory,” he said.
According to him, the government and a local engineering firm signed an MOU outlining Nigeria’s patent rights, and the company was in contact with foreign producers.
He said that the government was negotiating financial possibilities for financing the equipment’s low-cost mass manufacture.
Oso said that in addition to developing laybys for the installation of green machines, the government was also working on an instalment payment scheme for vulcanizers to progressively phase out the old machines.
He expressed concern over issues such as shanties growing in metropolitan areas and road setbacks, which are both harmful to the environment and an annoyance to locals.
Oso claimed that strange developments appeared all around gorgeous estates.
The general manager claimed that the daily rush of people into Lagos was exacerbating the issue, which is why attempts are still being made to establish contemporary, standardized kiosks for trading.
He said that the government will apply parts of the Physical Planning regulations, which already set standards for the types of road furniture that may be used in the state, as well as their heights, colours, and other characteristics.
He declared that the government would begin testing the standardized kiosks in Ikorodu, Ikeja, and Lagos Island, three of its divisions.
The informal sector, which employs the most people and generates the most revenue for the state’s GDP, is given priority in the government’s regulations, according to him.
“I am a town planner. When I am planning, I put up a sustainable structure in place to take care of today and, of course tomorrow,” he said.
He applauded Sen. Bola Tinubu, a former governor, for his innovative leadership in establishing the agency in 2001 to regulate public areas and guard against abuse and misuse.
According to Oso, the management of setbacks and incidental spaces in the state is the duty of LASPEMA, an organisation under the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.
He claimed that the government-owned the open spaces and that they should be protected and preserved because they are intended for future growth and development.
