Ambode Inaugurates Lagoon Project

The Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, has inaugurated the Epe-Marina Lagoon reclamation project aimed at boosting tourism in the state.

Ambode, who inspected ongoing projects in the state on Tuesday, said the lagoon reclamation projects in Epe and Badagry, would put the state in the same category as places such as Dubai when completed.

A state by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Habib Aruna, quoted him as saying that the Badagry-Marina Lagoon reclamation project would be completed by the end of August this year.

“We want to actually duplicate what you see in Dubai-Marina. This is a whole stretch of two kilometers of real estate and new tourist centres that we are putting in Epe and Badagry at the same time,” he said.

“We believe strongly that coming out from our retreat that we said we are going to grow the IGR of Lagos State by 2017 to N30bn and 2018 to N50bn, we believe that some of these projects that we are commencing now are just inlets to our dream of growing the IGR.”

The Epe-Marina Lagoon reclamation project is a complete redevelopment of project site to facilitate development of the area and promote tourism.

The project comes with sand filling to the lagoon up to about 200 meters and dualisation of the network of roads in the axis with functional walkways, the statement added.

According to Ambode, the projects in Badagry and Epe will help the state attract investment and encouraging tourism. “We are looking at the future of tourism from both axis. You cannot put tourism in those places without doing the infrastructure that is required to allow people to come in and that is why we are also doing the road network,” he said.

Among the projects inspected by the governor was the ongoing dualisation of about 25 roads in Epe.

“We believe with this expansion, the whole lot of what we are trying to do in Epe and Ibeju-Lekki axis will be developed,” he said.