• Says investments will deepen inter-modal transportation
By Demi Adeniyi
Lagos State’s transportation master plan got a massive boost yesterday with the injection of 15 new ferries to boost waterways transportation in the state. And what a day to inject it, to mark Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s fifth year in office.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu who commissioned the ferries at the Badore Jetty, Badore-Ajah, described the new water buses as another demonstration of government’s commitment to transportation and traffic management, which is the first pillar of its THEMES + Agenda, which is aimed at deepening intermodal transportation and to boosting the economy.
He said the 15 brand new 40-seater-water-buses, known as Omibus, was borne out of partnership between the state government, the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), and Caverton Marine, a subsidiary of Caverton Aviation.
He said: “This anniversary couldn’t have been better celebrated as it symbolises our commitment to a comprehensive integrated urban mass transportation. Today is the turn of marine/water transportation and we are handing over to operators 15 ferries out of a total of 25 ferries which Caverton Marine was commissioned to build, while the remaining 10 ferries would be injected in the second phase.”
Sanwo-Olu said the new water vessels are an addition to 22 ferries earlier handed over for water transportation, adding that the difference was that while all the former ferries were imported, the latest one was produced locally, with the foreign component being the outboard engines.
The governor said a safe, reliable and secured water transportation would help decongest the road, improve productivity as it would drastically cut down on travel time, from a minimum of 1 hour 45 minutes, to between 25 -30 minutes from Falomo to Badore, while from Badore to Ibeshe, in Ikorodu, takes only 15 minutes, a distance of not less than one or two hours by road.
He reasoned that investments in water transportation by the government are not misplaced, as it borders on developing the state’s comparative advantage in water transportation being one with the smallest land size as 22% of the state’s landmass is covered by water, and 27 out of the 57 local governments have large water bodies.
He urged strict compliance with water transport regulations, as it remains the only way to keep the waterways safe and incident free.
Transportation Commissioner Oluseun Osiyemi lauded Sanwo-Olu for prioritizing the development of inland waterways, “under your leadership, Lagos has witnessed remarkable transformation and the launch of the Omibus ferries is another testament to your unwaveriung commitment to driving sustainable development and enhancing the welfare of citizens,” he said.
Earlier, LASWA’s General Manager Mr Emmanuel Damilola described the unveiling of the Nigerian made modern ferries as a testament to government’s dedication to developing water transport.
Damilola said the Omibus ferries is not just about adding more vessels but about enhancing “our capacity to serve the growing number of commuters who rely on water transport daily.
The ferries, he said are equipped with revolutionary technology to ensure commuters’ safety, comfort, and convenience. They represent our commitment to sustainability, resilience and innovation, featuring co-friendly designs that minimizes environmental impact.”
He said Lagos has always been a trailblazer in governance and standards setting and LASWA has aligned with this approach in setting the standards for inland waterways infrastructure and services across the nation.
“Our commitment to sustainable development has garnered international recognition and support with partnerships with esteemed foreign entities such Future Cities Nigeria Project of the United Kingdom, and the waterways investment and development of the Environment (WIDE-LAG, Omi-Eko Project) jointly sponsored by the European Union, European Investment Bank, French Development Agency and the Lagos State government,” Damilola added.
The governor, accompanied by the Deputy Governor Dr Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat, members of the Lagos Executive Council, traditional rulers, captains of industries, top civil servants, market men and women, community leaders, community leaders among others took a ride in the ferries from Badore to the Five Cowries Jetty at Falomo.