Lagos Plans Nine More Jetties to Boost Water Transportation 

Tayo Oladipupo           I           

Lagos State Government has approved the construction of nine jetties to aid transportation in the riverine areas of the state.

Disclosing this on Monday while receiving the Executive members of Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN), the Director of special Projects, Engr. Teslim Balogun said contracts were already awarded for the construction of nine jetties and is almost at completion stage.

He said with the population of the state progressing numerically, there is the need to intensify and compliment the predominantly road based transportation in the state with water transportation in order to move larger number of people from one place to the other.

“With the population of the state progressing numerically, there is the need to intensify and compliment the predominantly road based transportation in the state with water transportation in order to move larger number of people from one place to the other.

He informed that aside the construction of jetties, the government has carried out the channelization of four ferry routes.

“Presently, the special projects department is handling the channelization of ferry routes and the Ministry has identified about 15 routes for execution.

“And you know the purpose of channelization or dredging is because most of our water bodies are shallow, they can’t take big boats so what we did was to create a path of 40m width and four meters minimum depth to accommodate bigger boat movement.

“And it cost a lot of money and that is why we have decided to do it in phases.

“The first phase consists of just four that we are presently embarking on, and this consists of Ijede-Badore (6km) Bayeku –Ajah (7km)  Ebute ojo-Marina that is about 25km, but what we are dredging is about (10km), because that  area  requires dredging, we also have Ijede-Marina the length is about 29km but the dredge able length is just (16km). So, these four constitute the first phase of our activity.

“The other eleven routes include Mile2–Marina, Badore—Five cowries, Ebute Ojo—Erewe, Oworonshoki –Five cowries, Agboyi-Ketu, Agboyi – Oworonshoki,  Ikorodu- Oworonshoki, Mile12—Agboyi ketu, Ajah—Five cowries, Oworonshoki—Ebute Ero, Bayeku—Lagbansa

“So the first four constitute the first phase, the next four will be handled before the end of this year” he said.

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