Lagos yet to Begin Works on New Computer Village

Work is yet to commence at Computer Village permanent site to house the largest computer market in West Africa; and Computers and Allied Products Dealers of Nigeria (CAPDAN), said it was at loss about the progress of the project.

The proposed Computer Village to be sited at Katangowa area of Abule-Egba in Lagos was mulled five years under the administration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as Nigerian Silicon Valley, from where technology would be exported to the outside world.

But indications at the weekend pointed that the idea has not left the drawing board as the state government is yet to decide on the Contractor to handle the project.

Mr. Olatunji Balogun, president CAPDAN, told Nigeria CommunicationsWeek that “At resent we have not gotten a well defined process about the movement of the Computer Village. So, I cannot speak emphatically on the subject because personally I do not have clear picture of how the movement is going’.

Balogun said, “What we have right now was just the announcement by the state government. We have been working with the agencies concerned;-Ministry of Environment and some other agencies under Lagos State Government. We have made ourselves clear on what we want in the process; that is the appointment of the builder. We listed about four construction gurus, whom we believe will give the site a befitting touch. That is the level I can say we are at now. The government is yet to pick the builder”.
 
“We are optimistic and strongly believe in the present administration that this project will see the light of the day.
 
Apart from growing Nigerian own Silicon Valley out the Computer Village, Lagos state government is relocating the computer market in line with its policy to remove all markets from residential areas to more spacious and conducive sites.

After reaching agreement with CAPDAN in 2009, the state government had said that it will begin the construction at the proposed site to house about 5000 offices and shops.

The present Computer Village has between 3, 000 to 3, 500 offices and shops with an an average of three persons to one office space.

The number of traders in the Computer Village is estimated at 7,000.

Apart from growing Nigerian own Silicon Valley out the Computer Village, Lagos state government is relocating the computer market in line with its policy to remove all markets from residential areas to more spacious and conducive sites.

After reaching agreement with CAPDAN in 2009, the state government has said that it will begin the construction at the proposed site to house about 5000 offices and shops.

The present Computer Village has between 3, 000 to 3, 500 offices and shops with an an average of three persons to one office space.

The number of traders in the Computer Village is estimated at 7,000.