Lagos suspends approvals for Banana Island, Osborne offshore, extension into lagoon

Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie

Lagos State Government has frowned at the incessant encroachment on the lagoon by illegal dredgers.

Banana Island has remained the most expensive abode for the wealthy and highly connected at the corridors of power in Nigeria, same for Osborne Foreshore, Ikoyi.

Investigations by The Nation showed that a plot of land costs as much N200million on Banana lsland and ownership of a parcel of land there is restrictive, as a result of the huge cost and the class of people there.

Lagos State Government has issued a suspension order on all approvals in respect of land extensions into the Lagoon at Banana Island and Osborne Foreshore, Ikoyi.

At the weekend, the government in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. ldris Salako and his counterpart in the Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Kabiru Ahmed Abdullahi, said it (the government) had noticed the increasing and continuing degradation of the Lagos shoreline as a result of indiscriminate illegal dredging, reclamation and land extensions into the Lagos Lagoon.

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The commissioners said further that the indiscriminate illegal proliferation of dredging and reclamation practices had brought about serious distortion in the aesthetics of the shoreline with high potential for causing environmental degradation, which is capable of producing dire consequences if unchecked.

The duo said:  “The government hereby suspends all existing, pending and subsequent approvals in respect of all land extensions into the Lagoon at Banana Island and Osborne Foreshore, Ikoyi.”

They ordered the immediate cessation of ongoing works, constructions, reclamations and other similar activities on account of extension approvals granted or being processed at Banana Island and Osborne Foreshore, Ikoyi.

The commissioners urged the public to comply with the stop work and suspension orders or risk facing criminal charges and confiscation of their dredging equipment.