Agence Francaise De Developpment (AFD) is bringing fresh investment into Lagos Inland Waterways Transportation (IWT). It would partner and strengthen the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) to change the narrative of waterways transportation, writes ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE
Known more as the State of Aquatic Splendor; Lagos, with her over 25 million population and rich water-bodies made up of streams, rivers, mangroves, lagoon and a rich Atlantic ocean coastline, ought to have maximized its aquatic luxury. But no, despite having about 22% of its total landmass covered by water, Lagos has found water rather, a burden than blessing.
Since the second republic when the Lateef Jakande administration took off with ambitious waterways intervention through its ferry services on the dredged routes, till date, Lagos has been struggling with maximizing its inland waterway potentials.
Despite efforts by the government through the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) to sanitize waterways operations and the commitment of the government through the LAGFerry to inject modern water buses to attract more passengers and see waterways as a preferred alternative to decongest the road, passenger response had remained abysmally low. At its best, statistics have put waterways transportation at less than 300,000 annually, a far cry from Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration’s projections, which had put patronage annually at over two million.
In its determination to come up with solutions to the “good challenge” that the waterways had continued to post, the administration had discovered a number of factors, among them, capacity of operational vessels, high frequency of waterways incidents, and lack of professionalism and competence of operators as some of the factors militating against a flourishing waterways operations.
But all that may be a thing of the past as a multilateral development partner, Agence Francaise De Developpment (AFD), has expressed readiness to partner the government through LASWA, to foster its THEMES Agenda, to develop the waterways.
At the epochal meeting held last month, the AFD team, led by David Margonsztern, who came all the way from Paris laid bare a very robust and potentially profitable venture which the agency said they are happy to venture into.
Addressing audience made up of the LASWA management team, representatives of the Federal Ministry of Finance, representatives of Lagos State Metropolitan Transport Authority (LAMATA) in what was the first in the series of meetings that would still be held between it and the state, at LASWA’s Five Cowries Headoffice, Lagos, David described the AFD as a good development partner with the state. Instructively, it wasn’t the first time AFD would be partnering with the government in developing infrastructural capacity. AFD’s partnership with the state dated over a decade, and they’ve been very visible in helping the state develop capacity by partnering LAMATA in the construction of bus shelters and are involved in facilitating the construction of the two world class interchanges on the Blue Line Rail, the state’s Lagos Urban Rail Transport (LURT) otherwise known as the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) system, which would flag-off commercial operation by first quarter next year.
According to David, the Wide-Lag project which would be co-funded by the European Union, would inject 200 million Euro to develop three routes. The project which would commence in 2023 is expected to be completed by 2027 and would run on the Build Operate and Transfer model for 20 years, with a grace period of seven years.
The loans he further added would be used to finance detailed engineering design, civil works, Intelligent Transport System (ITS), purchase of modern vessels, as well as training and capacity and institutional development and operational expenses.
Among others the project, when completed, would improve quality of lives and promote urban transit, assist in mitigating the growing impact of climate change, and improve social acceptance by the commuting public.
He said the AFD would be committing 1.2m Euro grant for the feasibility study and other incidentals, while the much needed funding would be obtained upon securing the necessary guarantees by the Nigerian governments to help develop the state’s waterways.
David said the project intends to add value at it would create hundreds of direct and indirect jobs for the youths, and change transportation conversations in the state permanently.
He said a team of consultants would be employed to work with LASWA’s team in developing the financial sustainability roadmap for the project, identify the routes to be adopted and work at improving the remaining routes already operational in the state and help the state develop capacity in waterways commuting.
“AFD’s intention is to within the short to medium term, turn Lagos into an international benchmark for Inland Waterways Transportation (IWT), like Bangkok, Sydney, Amsterdam or San Franscisco to such a point that it would share its resilience experience with other countries of the Gulf of Guinea”.
He said AFD has strong footprints in 157 countries and would help the State Government in developing inland waterways that would be attractive and be a preferred alternative as it would interface seamlessly with other modes for the convenience of all users.
It would also help in building LASWA’s capacity as IWT regulator adding that the fortunes of the state would change dramatically once the right investments are tailored to the waterways.
David noted that not only is 22% of its landmass covered by water, the lagoon, which is the state’s strategic resource is under utilised, while 60% of its land surface are less than five metres above sea level and are at high risk of coastal erosion.
David observed that the state with 60% the landmass already built up, and the potential to catapult its present population put at 25 million to about 40 million by 2050; potential of increased vehicle density on the overburdened road networks all underscored the need for aggressive and massive investment in public sector transportation to keep the state moving.
LAMATA’s Technical Adviser, Corporate Investment and Planning, Engr. Osa Konyegha, described LASWA as a reliable development agency of the government, with whom LAMATA has been partnering in the development of the state’s strategic transport masterplan (STM). He described the proposed AFD’s intervention as a game changer for inland water transportation as it would not only enhance quality investment, but boost local capacity.
“LAMATA believes that implementing a project of this nature is not easy and requires a lot of effort and it would always be there to lend their support in areas where it has developed comparative advantage,” Konyegha said.
Head, Infrastructure for the Federal Ministry of Finance, Mr Ismail Lawal assured the readiness of the Federal Government in ensuring that Lagos got the best infrastructure lift.
He urged AFD and LASWA to dust all gray areas ahead of the project in order to remove all stumbling blocks ahead of the project, right from the feasibility studies stage.
For him, if everything that needed to be attended to are fast tracked, it would assist the legwork needed to secure appropriate approvals.
He said the Federal Minister of Finance attended the pilot meeting in order to keep abreast of the project adding that Lagos led other states in the delivery of turnkey infrastructures aimed at improving the quality of lives of the people. He said as a microcosm of the bigger country, everything would be done to support the state in improving its livability index.
Lawal commended AFD for the support it has been giving the state in the past, adding that such synergy would be needed to ensure the success of the proposed IWT development.
While welcoming participants, Oluwadamilola Emmanuel said the partnership is in demonstration of the commitment of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration to transportation which is in line with the THEMES Agenda.
He said the partnership with the development agency would further deepen the state’s IWT and make it attractive and a preferred alternative especially by riverine community dwellers.
He said LASWA as the lead regulator has been active in enforcing standards, professionalizing waterways operations by operators cleaning of water channels and distribution of safety gears to ensure safety of the waterways.
The LASWA chief described the partnership with AFD as one of the state’s reliable development partners adding that the Wide-Lag project is a continuation of its intervention in transportation aimed at making the state’s waterways attractive for patrons.
He said: “The wide-Lag project focused on how to ensure the movement of people through the waterways and to ensure sustainable development of the inland waterways. We would ensure that this investment covers all areas we should cover to make our waterways more attractive”.
He commended Governor Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to transportation, adding that when this project fully comes on stream, it would completely change the narratives as it would boost intermodal integration.
He said in subsequent months, the AFD team would help in building capacity adding that the entire LASWA team is excited about the prospect of an invigorated waterways system.
The AFD presentation encapsulated the project cycle, procedure and monitoring tools, wide-Lag project concept, project schedule, key messages and selection of priority ferry routes.