Why Lagos is taking its time on Waterfront Projects – Bush-Alebiosu

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Lagos State Government is intensifying efforts to address flooding, regulate sand dredging and improve the management of its waterfronts and waterways, the Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Dayo Bush-Alebiosu, has said.

Bush-Alebiosu, in an interactive session with newsmen on Thursday in Maryland, Lagos, said the administration’s approach was to move beyond reacting to flooding after it occurred and instead identify the factors responsible for water accumulation and put appropriate interventions in place.

He said the success of flood management should not be judged simply by whether flooding occurred, but by how quickly floodwater drained after rainfall.

“Flooding happens everywhere. But what you should look at is how quickly the water drains. Some of these interventions should have been addressed before the problems explode. The issue, for me, is about understanding the factors responsible and putting the right interventions in place,” he said.

The commissioner spoke extensively on the challenges confronting Lagos’ waterfronts, including sand dredging, reclamation, environmental degradation, inter-agency coordination and the need for better data to guide government decisions.

Lagos needs data on sand resources

Bush-Alebiosu said the state could not effectively manage its aquatic resources without knowing the quantity of sand available in its waters, where it was being dredged and where the excavated material was ultimately going.

He said accurate information was essential to determining areas that could be dredged and those that needed to be left undisturbed to replenish naturally.

“How can we not know the amount of sand in our waters? How can we not know where the sand is going? What Lagos State has is land and water. How do we utilise them? If we cannot say, ‘This area, let us leave it. Let it replenish itself,’ you cannot do that if you do not have the necessary information,” he said.

According to him, the state is working to capture the necessary information and conduct studies that would provide a scientific basis for decisions on dredging, reclamation and waterfront development.

“That is why we need to capture everything and have the facts,” he added.

The commissioner said some of his concerns had been reinforced by what government officials had observed during inspections of areas affected by dredging and excavation activities.

He stressed that activities taking place out of sight could have serious consequences if the government did not have the capacity to monitor and document them.

“So, if we do not capture some of these things properly, what are we going to bring to the table? We are already on top of it. We are putting the necessary information together,” he explained.

Dredging causing environmental, infrastructure damage

Bush-Alebiosu expressed concern over what he described as damaging practices by some sand-mining and dredging operators.

He cited areas around the Lagos airport where extensive excavation had created large craters and left significant portions of land degraded.

According to him, government officials used a drone to survey an area extending several kilometres within the airport environment and observed the extent of the excavation.

“I don’t know the last time you were at the Lagos airport. There is a huge expanse of land designated for that purpose.

“We used a drone that went as far as five kilometres ahead of us within the airport area, and what we saw was quite disturbing. Today, we have craters and areas that have been dug up,” he lamented.

Bush-Alebiosu explained that sand excavation involved different layers of soil, each of which had a particular purpose and should be properly handled after excavation.

He said the failure to restore or properly manage excavated sites could leave government with an expensive environmental remediation problem.

“The expectation is that once you are done excavating, the materials should be properly managed and the site restored appropriately.

“But that did not happen in some places. Now we have very large excavated areas, and fixing them will cost a significant amount of money,” he said.

He also linked some road failures to activities associated with dredging and sand mining.

Bush-Alebiosu said some roads constructed with the expectation of having long lifespans had deteriorated much earlier than expected because of activities around them.

“They come back to tell us that they have set aside a certain amount to repair roads. But I remember when some of these roads were commissioned. They were supposed to have long lifespans, yet in less than 10 years some of them had collapsed because of the activities taking place around them,” he said.

Inter-agency rivalry affected waterfront management

The commissioner also acknowledged that coordination among government agencies had previously posed a major challenge to effective waterfront management.

He said the Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure Development had, in the past, encountered difficulties working with other agencies whose responsibilities overlapped with waterfront development.

“When we got to the waterfront, we had to deal with issues involving different government agencies, including the Ministry of the Environment, the Lands Bureau and Physical Planning.

“There was no handshake; there was no connection. So we were working at crossroads. That was the situation for a long time,” he said.

He, however, said the situation had improved significantly, with greater cooperation among the relevant agencies.

“But that is now in the past. We are working together better with the relevant agencies,” he said.

Lagoon Authority now more feasible

Bush-Alebiosu also expressed optimism that the proposed Lagoon Authority and Lagoon Policy could now be pursued more effectively following the Supreme Court ruling that clarified certain responsibilities of state governments.

He described the proposed institutions as ideas that previously appeared “futuristic” because of unresolved questions over the respective responsibilities of the Federal Government and states in the management of waterways.

“Those were really lovely things. But when you look at what it takes to create agencies, a lot must be taken into consideration.

“I am happy now that all of these things that, at that time, looked like futuristic ideas can now be pursued more realistically,” he said.

According to him, there had previously been uncertainty over whether particular aspects of lagoon and waterway management fell under state or federal jurisdiction.

“There was always that battle over whose responsibility certain things were. There were questions about whether certain matters belonged to the state or the Federal Government.

“There was no way those agencies would have been created easily while those issues were still being contested,” he said.

Bush-Alebiosu said the clearer legal position created by the Supreme Court judgment had made it easier for Lagos to consider pursuing the proposed structures.

“Now, with the Supreme Court judgment clarifying the position, we can look forward to those things happening because they are necessary,” he said.

Lagos insists on safety in reclamation projects

The commissioner said the state was also reviewing waterfront reclamation projects, particularly those involving companies that had obtained government approval but delayed commencement.

He said several companies had secured reclamation approvals but had failed to commence work even three to five years after receiving the approvals.

“We discovered that quite a number of companies had obtained reclamation approvals. Three, four, five years after getting the approvals, they had not even started. Some had not even bought a couple of loads of sand to begin the work.

“So we were actually encouraging them to speed up because we saw the importance of those projects,” he said.

He said, however, that the government had become more cautious following concerns raised about dredging activities around bridges and other sensitive locations.

According to him, the government had to investigate the situation and establish that the reclamation activities were safe before allowing affected projects to proceed.

“We had to investigate properly. We went there and captured the entire area. We wanted to be certain that what was being done was safe,” he said.

Bush-Alebiosu said he insisted on obtaining an express written confirmation that the project was safe to continue, stressing that such documentation would protect the integrity of the project and provide an official record for future administrations.

“Eventually, a joint committee was set up to look into the matter and make sure it was safe to continue the reclamation. They have since communicated to the relevant authorities that the project can continue.

“But I am still insisting on getting an express letter confirming that, so that years after we are no longer there, there will be something on the file to refer back to,” he said.

Water transport to reduce pressure on roads

Bush-Alebiosu said the state’s investment in jetties and other waterfront infrastructure was also aimed at expanding water transportation, reducing pressure on Lagos roads and lowering transportation costs.

He argued that Lagos’ extensive waterways presented an opportunity to move both people and goods more efficiently.

The commissioner said an effective water transportation system could have an impact beyond mobility by reducing the cost of transporting goods.

“When you take out transportation costs, it eventually drives down the cost of goods and aids affordability,” he said.

He said one of the major jetty projects being developed by the state was strategically located to serve a wide area and help decongest the road network.

According to him, the journey could take only about 12 to 15 minutes by water and the facility was expected to serve communities around Bariga, Gbagada, Maryland, Anthony, Ketu and other areas towards Shomolu.

He said the scale of the expected catchment area meant that facilities such as adequate parking and other supporting infrastructure would be required.

Jetties to support movement of goods

Bush-Alebiosu explained that the proximity of some waterfront infrastructure to markets would also make the movement of goods easier.

He said the focus was therefore not merely on transporting passengers but on developing an integrated water-based transportation system capable of supporting commercial activity.

“I am also excited about it because, although it is meant largely for water transportation, it is close to markets. That means goods can be moved around on water more easily. And when you take out transportation costs, it eventually drives down the cost of goods and aids affordability,” he said.

Bush-Alebiosu added that the ministry had undertaken the renovation of some jetties inherited from previous administrations.

He said the government was paying attention not only to construction but also to the location, accessibility and functionality of waterfront infrastructure.

Commissioner defends pace of projects

The commissioner also defended the pace at which his ministry was executing waterfront projects, saying he preferred thorough planning and sustainable outcomes to rushing projects to meet short-term expectations.

“Some call me slow. I work differently. Some people are fast. I like to make sure we get things right,” he said.

He illustrated his philosophy with the contrast between the rabbit and the tortoise, arguing that speed was meaningless if it did not ultimately produce sustainable results.

“The good Lord created the rabbit and created the tortoise. Does He not know what He is doing? The rabbit is fast, but it has no peace. Look at the rabbit. It is constantly running from one danger to another,” he said.

He said the tortoise, despite its slower pace, ultimately reached its destination safely.

“It gets to where it is going eventually, in peace. Does the rabbit always get there? Eight out of 10 times, it may not,” he said.

Bush-Alebiosu said his priority was therefore to continue delivering projects while ensuring that they were properly planned and capable of producing lasting benefits.

“For me, it is about continuing to achieve and making sure that what we are doing is sustainable,” he said.

He assured that the ministry would continue to work with relevant agencies and stakeholders to improve the management and development of Lagos’ waterfronts.

The commissioner said the ultimate objective was to harness the state’s land and water resources in a manner that would improve mobility, support economic activity, protect the environment and deliver sustainable benefits to residents.

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