The Lagos State government (LASG) has disclosed that it would continue to strengthen the infrastructural system of the State waterways to fast track socio-economic development via waterways transportation.
The State Commissioner for Waterfront, Babatunde Adejare stated this during a press briefing held at Bagauda Kaltho, Alausa, Ikeja.
According to him, the State Government is striving to ensure a balance between economic development and preservation that will enable access to the waterfront, ensure the beneficial use of waterfronts, prevent shoreline erosion and deter impairment of scenic beauty or permanent adverse changes to ecological systems, among others.
He said, “In response to the challenges posed by Climate Change and Global Warming with an attendant rise in ocean level resulting in coastal erosion, the State Government has embarked on holistic measures to protect Coastal Communities and harness the full potentials of the waterways in providing economic prosperity”.
Shedding more light on the Eko Atlantic City, he said that the project is designed to stand on 10 million square metres of land reclaimed from the ocean and will be protected by an 8.5 kilometre-long sea revetment called, ‘The Great Wall of Lagos’.
“The Eko Atlantic City project has 6 Phases of implementation, phases 1-2 have already been completed with roads, potable water of World Health Organization (WHO) standard, fibre optics and advanced telecommunication facilities, and over 10,000 trees planted within the city in recognition of the Lagos State Government initiative to plant one million trees in the State”, he affirmed.
He noted that President Muhammadu Buhari, during a tour of the Eko Atlantic City, commended the State Government’s monumental stride in creating wealth from the coastal region and propelling the emergence of a 21st Century City out of the land formerly ravaged by coastal erosion.
Adejare stressed that with the transformation of the Bar Beach into Eko Atlantic City, the emergence of the new city will change the aesthetics of the coastline.
He added the project is expected to eventually be home to 300,000 residents with an expected commuter volume of about 200,000 daily.
He also disclosed that with the population of Lagos progressing numerically, there is the need to intensify and complement its predominantly road-based transportation with water transportation in order to move a large number of people from one section to another.
He mentioned some of the ongoing projects at the State waterways to include the construction of nine concrete jetties with shelter and shoreline protection at Badagry VIP Charlet, Apa Waterfront, Baiyeku Waterfront, Offin Waterfront, Isalu-Ajido Badagry, Ilado Waterfront, Amuwo Odofin, Ilashe-Ojo, Ito Omu Waterfront, Epe and Takwa Bay Island, while the channelization Projects at Ijede-Badore route, Baiyeku-Ajah route, Ebute Ojo-Marina and Ijede-Marina are at various stages of completion.
