Urban regeneration of Lagos Island underway, says commissioner

By Oyebola Owolabi

The urban regeneration of Lagos Island will start soon, the Lagos State government has said. It affirmed that a conducive environment is very essential for economic growth.

Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources Tokunbo Wahab hinted this after a tour of Lagos Island and environs. According to him, the urban renewal of Lagos Island is necessary to effectively address the flooding that has posed serious threats to lives and properties in the area.

The project will be done in collaboration with the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure.

Wahab said: “We want to have a holistic approach which requires the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources to sign off some alignments because of the planned regeneration of the total infrastructure of Lagos Island.

“The ministry would reconstruct 13 secondary collectors, two drainage outfalls, and upgrade some drainage channels, while the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure would construct the roads. These projects would go on at the same.

“The sign-off requires a joint agreement with the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure on the drainage level, the alignments, the collector, outfall, the depth and width of each of the channels, so the project can be beneficial to the community.

“The roads would be higher than their current status, as well as the tertiary drains that will be built to discharge into the collectors. These these efforts will end flooding on the Island.”

The collector drains to be reconstructed are Jakara Collector Drain; Oroyinyin Collector Drain; Ojogiwa Collector Drain; Binuyo Collector Drain; Olusi/Odunfa Collector Drain; Omidundun Collector Drain; Epe Collector Drain; Thomas Collector Drain; Sangrouse/ Mandilas Collector Drain; Odulami Collector Drain; Salvage/Elegbate Collector Drain; Amuto Collector Drain and Iga Iduganran Collector Drain.

Wahab promised that the contractor would begin work immediately and the projects would be delivered in no time in order to permanently curb flooding in the area.

The team also visited Nnamdi Azikwe Road, following a public complaint that certain properties were built on drainage channels. The commissioner said the affected buildings will be marked and the owners served contravention notices, after which they will be prosecuted if found guilty.

The team thereafter moved to Moshalashi Street where an old pumping station had been converted into a shopping mall. Wahab said owners of the building will also be invited to check necessary approvals and documents.

Wahab added that the construction/cleaning of canals are ongoing across the state to allow water flow naturally. He stressed that government will not relent in performing its responsibilities of maintaining a flood-free and clean environment.

The team also checked the ongoing pumping station project at Ilubirin, where he said the civil construction of the project has been completed. He noted that the only things left are mechanical installation to get the station running.

“The equipment are here; the generator and the transmitter are also ready; once connection is done, we will open the outlet and this will also compliment the urban regeneration efforts to deflood Lagos Island,” he added.

The commissioner urged the community to take ownership of the project by preventing indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the drainage channels, road medians and setbacks. He stressed that it is the responsibility of the community to maintain the project to ensure its sustainability.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment, Engr. Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, appealed to residents to bear with government when the project begins, saying achieving them may come with some pains but it will be beneficial to all in the long run.

“We need to have a change in attitude to protect our environment because it is our land and our future,” he added.