The Nation Newspaper

Category: Building & Properties

  • Lagos’ ‘bold march’ towards a smart city

    Has the status of Lagos State improved as a commercial and social hub in sub-Saharan Africa? Yes, say officials of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development. MUYIWA LUCAS x-rays the ministry’s role in the last one year.

    The last time he came to  Lagos State was three years ago. Thus, for Yinka Shodeinde, a Nigerian based in  Europe, coming to Lagos for a brief holiday presented him with the opportunity of reuniting with his friends and family members.

    But Shodeinde’s much-sought- after fun was hampered by his inability to navigate the streets of Lagos smoothly due to the gridlock on the roads; the magnitude, which he claimed,  he never experienced before travelling. The gridlock is a consequence of the unprecedented construction ongoing across the length and breadth of Lagos simultaneously, a situation that has now given the state a new name – ‘construction site.’

    “Notwithstanding that the gridlock deprived me of easy movement, I really do not mind the because I see that it is for the development of the state. I am sure that once these works are completed, Lagos will be a city to behold, competing favourably with other major cities in the world,” he said.

    This submission aptly captured  the  Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Rotimi Ogunleye’s    scorecard during a briefing last Monday in Alausa, Lagos.

    “Our ministry, the MPP&UD has contributed immensely in the last one year to the overall vision of the state towards achieving a safe, liveable, sustainable, business and tourism-friendly environment, through our mandate of provision of infrastructure to engender the socio-economic growth and well-being of the state,” Ogunleye explained to the large audience gathered inside the Bagauda Kalto Press Centre.

    According to him, the ongoing “revolution” in the state could be attributed to the massive transformation and reformative policies and programmes of the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, which he noted to be geared towards changing the face of the state.

    His claims may not be far from the truth. A look around Lagos shows that there are substantial and significant projects taking place simultaneously across the state and more lined up with the intention of progressively transforming the state into a “Smart City.”

     

    Sustainable development

    According to Ogunleye, in the last one year, the Ministry has adopted the preparation of the Master and Model City Plans. So far, he revealed, eight Master and Model City Plans have been prepared. These are: Lekki Comprehensive Master Plan; Badagry Master Plan; Ikoyi-Victoria Island Model City Plan; Ikeja Model City Plan; Alimosho Model City Plan; Mainland Central Model City Plan; Apapa Model City Plan and Agege-Ifako Model City Plan. Four additional Master and Model City Plans, he added, were prepared and would be ready for public use by the second quarter of this year. They are the Epe Master Plan, Ikorodu Master Plan, Oshodi-Isolo Model City Plan and the Revised Ikeja Model City Plan. It is also worthy to mention that on completion of the procurement process, the proposed Kosofe Model City Plan would be awarded in the second quarter of the year.

     

    Land Use activities

    According to the commissioner, to engender greater efficiency, the Physical Planning and Building Control Regulations 2005 have been reviewed and lie before the  House of Assembly for necessary action. The review, he said, is necessary for the furtherance of the government’s vision of a sustainable, business and tourism-friendly environment and to ensure effective enforcement, appropriate control and regulatory operations to stem the rate of illegal conversion of land uses while bringing contraveners to compliance. Besides, he noted, illegal, unsafe, non-conforming developments and the activities of unscrupulous developers continue to pose a lot of challenges to the ministry. He however assured that through continuous monitoring and enforcement as well as utilising the “Whistle Blowing Policy,” the situation would be brought under control.

    Ogunleye revealed that through the Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory (LSMTL), the ministry embarked on an intensive audit of structures in both on-going construction sites and completed buildings suspected to be distressed. Consequently, 1,842 sites were visited, 1,392 Test Advice Notices served and information on buildings identified as distressed were forwarded to the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) for necessary action. He said 149 distressed buildings were identified at different locations, of which 40 of such have been removed while the next phase of 38 of the structurally defective structures have been earmarked for removal. This initiative, including others, has led to a significant reduction in building collapse.

     

    Ease of doing business

    Perhaps the most significant feat recorded by the ministry remains the titling process on properties within the state. Although it remains contestable, Ogunleye takes pride in the e-pp platform, saying it has eased assessibility, decreased third party interference and reduced the process of obtaining a planning permit to 28 working days after the application has been pre-screened and cleared. This process, he maintained, has influenced a better ranking for the country on the ease of doing business index.

    “It is my pleasure to report that the reforms bore fruits with Nigeria’s improved ranking in the Ease of Doing Business Global Index, particularly in Dealing with Construction Permits promoted through our online automation and increased transparency,” he said. Furthermore, in the year, of a total of 2,023 planning permit applications received, Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) granted 1,237. Others are being processing.

     

    Amnesty programme

    To clear the backlog of applications and to encourage regularisation of developments without permits, the ministry, revealed the commissioner, has provided a window of opportunity with a six-month amnesty period from March 1 to August 31, for owners and developers of  structures to regularise their developments documents. In this instance, penal fees, which should be paid on Building Assessment charges, would be waived. He therefore called on developers and owners to take advantage of the opportunity to obtain permits and Certificate of Fitness on their developments. Besides, developers/owners who desire to commence construction while perfecting their land documents with Lands Bureau can apply for a provisional approval with their family land receipts duly stamped upon payment of stamp duty. When the Title Document is finally perfected, the developers/owners would apply for Final Planning Permit.

     

    Infrastructure renewal, upgrade

    In its quest for infrastructure renewal and upgrade, Ogunleye revealed that the ministry recovered and delivered eight Right of Way (RoW) for the construction, reconstruction of roads and new transport routes as well as utility lines to facilitate easy movement of people, goods, and services. In specific terms, the RoW projects delivered includes the re-construction and upgrade of Alapere/Agboyi Ketu network of roads; re-construction/dualisation of lrede Road in Amuwo Odofin LGA; the proposed Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) Oyingbo Bus Terminal Development; rehabilitation of Alhaji Akinwunmi Street, Mushin; construction of lgbe/Igbogbo/Bola Ahmed Tinubu Way, lkorodu; re-Construction of Agric-Ishawo-Konu-Arepo Road, Ikorodu and Lagos – Ogun State boundary network of 21 Roads in Alimosho Local Government Area.

    Over seven projects are ongoing notably, the construction of Pen Cinema Flyover Bridge, Agege; reconstruction of Oshodi-Muritala Mohammed International Airport (MMA) Road, Lagos, among others.

     

    Urban relocation

    To redirect economic activities, which bring about negative impact on the environment to more desirable and viable locations, the state government, through the ministry, embarked on the construction of a sawmill at Timberville, Agbowa/Ikosi Ejinrin, LCDA to  relocate the Okobaba Sawmill in Ebute-Metta, at no cost to the sawmillers. Ogunleye said the Phase I of the project is now ready for operational take-off save the provision of additional transformers and the completion of the link road.

    Similarly, the Katangowa ICT Park Project which is a public private partnership (PPP), arrangement is due to commence with the upgrading of roads to the site. When completed, he said the Katangowa project would be the biggest ICT Park in West Africa and will offer over 4,000 shops, exhibition halls, hotel, industrial park, warehouses, KeeKlamps (small shopping shades), a helipad, malls, banking halls, parking lots, conference centre, food courts, security and power, delivered in a carefully laid out plan.

     

    Conclusion

    The commissioner re-emphasised that the state government has continued to embark on sustained efforts toward effective and efficient planning, knowing full well that planning is the pathway to improved standard of living, economic vibrancy, social stability, tourist and investor – friendly environment. To this end, he assured that the MPP&UD will continue to “Plan for All with All” – developers, owners, occupiers and professionals in the built environment to show that the lives of Lagosians matter.

    Are these feats enough to say the state is marching progressively towards becoming a smart city? Lagosians are waiting, patiently too.

     

     

     

  • SON inaugurates panel on community sanitation

    Nigeria’s first National Mirror Committee and Technical Committee on ISO PC 305 and ISO PC 318 on sustainable non-sewer sanitation system and community-scale resource-oriented sanitation treatment system have been inaugurated in Lagos  by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and other critical stakeholders in environmental management.

    The ISO PC 305 was established by SON’s Technical Management Board resolution of May 2016 to provide a standard solution to the recurrent issue of a sustainable and affordable sanitation to alleviate the problem of open defecation. The ISO PC 318 is a new community-scale resource-oriented sanitation treatment system..

    At the event, SON’s Director-General Osita Aboloma, represented by Mrs. Chinyere Egwuonwu, noted that the panel would capitalise on its international experts and build on the information and expertise it would gather to develop the IWA 28:2018, a document specifying the requirements and test methods to ensure safety, performance and sustainability of community-scale, resource-oriented fecal sludge treatment units, that serve between 1,000 and 100,000 people.

    “It is a major step to help realise the potential of such technology and, ultimately, save lives. The IWA 28 fecal sludge treatment units will help to facilitate the commercialisation and expansion of such treatment units into the market, making them safer and more accessible to those who need them,” he said.

    Aboloma explained that the purpose of the standardisation was to enable the development of standards along the sanitation system designed to address basic sanitation needs and promote economic, social and environmental sustainability through strategies that may include minimising resource consumption and converting human waste to safe output.

    As part of its mandate, Aboloma said the national mirror committee would showcase the activities of the two ISO technical committees and establish Nigeria’s position on the ISO draft standards on sanitation systems and services through a consensus of input from stakeholders.

    He charged the panel to ensure that stakeholders contributed adequately to ensure that the standards reflected Nigeria’s position to facilitate its adoption as national standards and to provide the necessary confidence for engagements, urging them to interact with other people towards implementation of community sanitation standards.

    “This is an opportunity for us to have a say on the global community,” he added.

    The Director, Environmental Services, Lagos State Ministry of the Environment, Dr. Iyabo Philips, is the pioneer chairperson of the NMC.

    She assured of a robust deliberations, which he noted, would help the country address its environmental issues, especially open defecation.

    “We are grateful to SON for coming up with this programme at this time. In Lagos, we are putting together programmes against open defecation. Most of the diseases in town are caused by it.

    ‘’With this programme, a high percentage of water borne diseases will be eradicated and Nigeria will get the best as these standards would be adopted as national standards,” Philip said.

  • JJT, Badagry, other parks boost recreation, tourism

    PARKSand Gardens in Lagos State have lived up to expectation as they have become tourists and recreation havens. Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti, who disclosed this at his Ministry’s annual ministerial briefing, which held in Alausa yesterday, said the recently established Johnson Jakande Tinubu Park, otherwise known as JJT Park, the Rafiu Jafojo Park and the Badagry Park, have continued to attract visitors from within and outside the country.

    The briefing was to commemorate the third year in office of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

    According to him, Governor Ambode’s Administration has progressively altered the state landscape  through aggressive greening, tree planting, beautification, landscaping and establishment of parks and gardens.

    “To enhance environmental sustainability and meet health and recreational needs of the citizenry, the state government in the last one year commissioned three world-class parks in different parts of the state. These parks are the Johnson Jakande Tinubu(JJT) Park, located in Alausa, Ikeja, Rafiu Jafojo Park in Shasha, Alimosho and Badagry Recreational Park.

    “Together with other existing parks, the JJT Park, Rafiu Jafojo Park and Badagry Recreational Park soon became vital to the tourism matrix of the state as Lagos State scaled up as both local and international tourists destination with an upsurge of park users by one hundred and twenty-four per cent,” he said.

    The state greening policy was consistent with its aim of aiding climate change mitigation efforts and reclaiming the glory of Lagos environment, which it was renowned for as well as parks and gardens. He added that government, in conformity with this goal, has encouraged the establishment of Parks and Gardens Units in all Local Government Areas (LGAs) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state to promote the ideals of greening and stimulate the development of recreational parks at the grassroots.

    “As we speak, six new parks are earmarked for development in Oregun, Iponri, Ikotun, Queens Drive (Oyinka Abayomi, Ikoyi), Iganmu and Epe in addition to the establishment of a florist’s village in Osborne, Ikoyi to enhance the greening programme,”he said.

    He explained that the state greening programme received a major boost from the state Nursery Unit, which has been able to meet ninety-five per cent of the state’s need for plant by increasing seedling production from a paltry four thousand plant seedlings monthly to over fifty thousand plant seedling monthly.

  • Visionscape positions TLS for waste efficiency

    Visionscape Sanitation Solutions (VSS) is at the forefront of tackling the rising scourge of plastics as transfer loading stations (TLS) across  the state , which it has taken concession and management of, are at almost completion stage. The stations will serve as sorting centers for its recycling programme. They are located in Agege, Oshodi and Lagos Island.

    According to the firm, each TLS is strategically located to address collection efficiency and increase the trips for  waste collection.  For instance, while the Agege and Lagos Island stations will handle only solid waste, the Oshodi station will cater to medical and hazardous ones.

    Its Chief Executive Officer, John Irvine, said the TLS will also serve as the point of sorting and bundling of plastic waste, separating them from the bio-degradable materials, which end up in the landfill.

    “The Lagos market is highly dependent on plastic materials. Without adequate disposal processes, the waste materials end up polluting the earth, the oceans and ultimately, affecting human health. Improving the process of sorting and packaging at these  transfer loading stations makes it easier for us to recover materials that would have caused pollution,” Irvine said.

    He noted that from saving energy and reducing mileage for waste collection compactors, to reducing queues  and waiting time at the landfill, as well as any likely wear and tear on compactors, the benefits of the transfer loading stations reflect in both economic and environmental terms.

    According to Irvine,  facilitating an efficient approach to waste management in Lagos State is the core of its framework for the new waste management system. The waste management process encountered major issues with collection, and logistics of transporting waste, which he blamed on the capacity and condition of waste collection trucks and their inability to travel landfills located outside the city limits to dispose collected waste.

    The company, he said, will now focus on the rapid development of more transfer loading stations within the state. A TLS serves as a midpoint for municipal solid waste collection, where waste is temporarily stored, then transferred to larger trucks and sent in bulk to the landfill for final disposal and processing.

  • LASBCA embarks on sensitisation

    The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) has reiterated the government’s zero tolerance for distressed  and abandoned structures.

    Its General Manager, Lekan Shodeinde, an engineer, spoke during the agency’s  sensitisation on the Lagos Island.

    Shodehinde said distressed buildings collapse more during the rainy season. He said the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode was determined to achieve zero incidence of building collapse, without room for abandoned buildings, and illegal developments,  among others, to ensure a better physical environment.

    Shodeinde said sustainable physical development required the participation of every Lagosian for implementation of laws and regulations. No responsible government, the LASBCA boss said, would watch her citizens die without taking precautionary measures.

    “LASBCA will come down hard with the law on defaulters who decide to break government seal, illegal contravention of building laws, construction of new buildings without approval, and non-conforming to building strategies, among others,” he said.

    Shodeinde stressed that people disregarded laws on building construction which resultant effects were worrisome.

    He advised developers to engage structural engineers, builders, architects, and other artisans before embarking on construction, adding that developers should also use quality materials.

    Head of Enlightenment Department Mrs. Taiwo Ajose said sensitisation was a re-awakening to the fact that the government and the people needed to collaborate not only to stem building collapse, but to also ensure that people built in compliance with physical planning laws.

    Lagos Island Local Government Chairman, represented by his deputy Waheed Bashorun, urged  Lagosians to comply with the laws to avoid any  embarrassment from law enforcement officers. He said  officials of the restructured LASBCA were working with the people for their safety and for a safer Lagos.

    He implored the public, particularly developers and property owners on Lagos Island, to help the government and shun sharp practices in construction.

    “We, as a people desire a better city, a smart city where almost everything works. This is attainable when the government and her citizens work together as a team,” Bashorun added.

     

  • Septuagenarian petitions Lagos over Idimu

    The Lagos State government has been urged to intervene in a planned displacement of over 650, 000 inhabitants of Idimu, a suburb of Lagos, by the traditional ruler of Isheri-Olofin, Oba Wahab Balogun.

    The petitioner, Alhaji Shamsideen Alade, a septuagenarian, accused the traditional ruler of frustrating the residents, stressing that the town he rules over does not legally exist, thus the Oba should be dethroned.

    He claimed that the kingdom, created by the state government in 1984, had no history in Idimu as it was never one of the 500 villages in Ikeja District in the last 500 years.

    Besides, Alade said no such town as Isheri-Olofin ever existed in the composite map of communities in Idimu area drawn by the late Herbert Macaulay in December, 1919.

    Similarly, he contended that Isheri Olofin was never recorded among the 202 settlement communities inherited from the defunct Western Region by virtue of Decree 14 of 1967, which created Lagos State.

    A copy of the petition made available to The Nation, in Abuja, Alade threatened to sue the state government if it fails to act on the petition in 30 days. According to him, the Oba’s action has put the lives and property of over 650,000 inhabitants of Idimu in jeopardy.

    He, therefore, urged the state government to quickly address the issue by declaring Isheri-Olofin non-existent and remove the Oba.

    “No such village ever existed in the history of Idimu or the entire 500 villages that made up Ikeja District preceding your illegal and non-ancestral but political creation,” Alade stressed.

    In a letter to Lagos governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode,  dated March 5, 2018 and signed by Mr Bola Aide, counsel to Alade, the petitioner maintained that it was only Isheri-Idimu that was recorded as one of the 20 “customary tenants’’ of Idimu village, and was duly paying rent to the community.

    He said Balogun, the Oba of the “non-existent” Isheri-Olofin, had openly declared that he was from Orile-Agege, adding that the non-existence of Isheri-Olofin was evident in the government’s Intelligence Report No. 29939 of 1935. To Aldae, therefore, Isheri-Olofin kingdom was an “illegal political creation against all historical and documentary evidences’.’

    He said the illegal creation had given rise to unconstitutional and illegal arrogation of authority by the Balogun to forcefully and unlawfully acquire peoples’ land in Idimu and displace many families.

  • Subscribers hail estate developer over affordability

    Subscribers into the Royal Residence Estate being developed by Messrs Obika Realtors Limited in the Lekki – Epe corridor have been assured of good returns on their investment over the next 24 months.

    Similarly, the middle class willing to own properties at affordable rates could also be good beneficiaries of the real estate stride in a fast growing area such as Ibeju –Lekki housing, the largest development in the centre of excellence in recent times.

    Obika Realtors Limited Managing Director, Mrs. Ekamma Ufot, made the remarks at the second allocation of land to subscribers, which held at Eluju town, Ibeju–Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos State.

    Part of the facilities already inaugurated in the estate, Ufot explained, are the inner roads, perimeter fencing of the 10-acre land, grading of the main link road to the estate from the Lekki – Epe expressway, magnificent gate house, site office to provide ancillary services to allottees while developing their property.

    She described the estate, whose first development covers 54 plots, 80 per cent of which is already subscribed to, as free from any interference from local inhabitants referred to as Omo onile.

    According to her, security of lives and property in the course of the development is of utmost priority to the firm as there are plans for 24/7 security cover in the estate. Ufot also revealed that the properties within the estate will benefit from its nearness to the Lekki Free Trade Zone, Dangote Refinery, Lekki Deep Sea Port and New International Airport, among others.

    These, she said, will offer remarkable investment opportunity for property owners within the estate. She expressed optimism on the project, stressing that the company is on the verge of embarking on the second phase of the scheme. “We are upbeat on the project and assurances of keen interest in the scheme are spurring us to move to the next phase,” she said.

    One of the prospective subscribers, Emmanuel Okonkwo, a clergyman, expressed delight at the rate of development of the infrastructure promised by the company  at the inception of the scheme. “It is easy to get Nigerians, especially middle class, dreaming of a decent environment to live in a fast growing area like Ibeju – Lekki with a well secured neighbourhood and very enlightened community,” he said.

    Another subscriber, Mr. David Adefalu, said “with what is on ground at the estate the property developer has provided veritable avenue for prospective property owner along the corridor to access the land for development”.

    He noted that the estate firm has shown consistency and commitment to providing avenues for a hitch-free landed property ownership by subscribers, stressing that the processes have not only been smooth, but transparent.

  • Lagos moves to end plastic pollution, dangles monetary incentives

    Lagos State Government has urged residents to be proactive in the fight to end plastic pollution in the state with a view to protect and preserve the earth.

    In a statement to mark the 2018 World Earth Day, the state Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti, while urging Lagosians to be protective of the earth as it is a blessing to mankind, said:“The Earth is a blessing to mankind because it is our source of water, food, medicine, and shelter.”

    Durosinmi-Etti explained that the World Earth Day, celebrated every April 22, was a day to appreciate and demonstrate support for environmental protection. He said it had been a flagship campaign for raising awareness on emerging environmental issues such as climate change, marine pollution, global warming, and wildlife crime, among others.

    The Commissioner, who said the earth was a magnificent space with incredibly complex and vibrant ecosystem, where living organisms interact with each other and their environment to create ideal conditions for living, urged Lagosians to protect the biodiversity of the state and embrace acts that lead to the conservation of the environment.

    He said the 2018 edition of the world Earth Day with the theme: “End Plastic Pollution”, was dedicated to spreading awareness about dangers of plastic pollution, adding that it was time to recognise the need to end its use through persistent advocacy.

    “Plastic pollution is poisoning our waters and lands, injuring marine lives and affecting our overall health,” he said.

    The Commissioner used the opportunity to appeal to Lagosians to support household and community recycling with the reuse of plastic related materials to reduce the effect of plastic pollution on the environment.

    Meanwhile, to commemorate the 2018 World Environment Day on June 5, the state has initiated an Environmental Award tagged: ‘’Lagos Green Award’’, to recognise and honour individual, groups and organisations that have contributed to the environment.

    Durosinnmi-Etti explained that the award, which would be in nine different categories, was one of deliberate policies of the Akinwunmi Ambode administration to stimulate the appreciation of the environment among Lagosians.

    “Our environment will be safer if we all embrace the opportunity to get involved in protecting the environment, which is the superstructure on which our civilisation rests,” he stressed.

    He said members of the public could nominate deserving individuals, group or organisations whose action have directly improved the environmental resilience of Lagos State in any of the nine areas, namely environmental management, best environment practices, oil spill management, health, safety & environmental performance, waste prevention & recycling, solid waste treatment & disposal, emissions control technologies, natural resources conservation, innovation and sustainable solution.

    He emphasised that the conferment of the awards will follow a competitive process as participating units would be assessed against different sets of environmental performance criteria, adding that nominations or entries for the award must clearly identify an environment initiative and how it had impacted on the state.

  • $210m cash for West Africa’s coastal communities coming

    The West African Coastal Areas (WACA) Resilience Investment Project, partly funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), has been approved by the Board of the World Bank Group.

    It will help build coastal communities in Republic of Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal and Togo through a $210 million financing package.

    The project will protect coastal  communities against erosion through fixing dunes, restoring wetlands and mangroves, replenishing beaches, and building seawalls and dikes.

    It will reduce flooding by rehabilitating lagoons and drainages, and by improving watershed management

    It is led by West African governments.

    “The WACA Resilience Investment Project is a collective response to the urgent need to address coastal degradation in a regional, integrated manner. It is an opportunity to strengthen the resilience of West Africa’s communities and transform their livelihoods,” Makhtar Diop, World Bank’s Vice President for the Africa Region, said.

    About 42 percent of West Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is generated in coastal areas, where almost one-third of the population resides and communities are, particularly vulnerable to the effects of severe coastal erosion and frequent flooding.

    To sustain investments and attract more investors, the project will provide technical assistance for regionally integrated spatial planning, prepare a yearly report on the state of West Africa’s coasts, and support the revision and enforcement of laws and protocols contributing to healthy and productive coasts.

    The project will boost regional cooperation to address coastal erosion by working with four regional institutions – the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), The Abidjan Convention, The Dakar-based Center for Ecological Monitoring (CSE), and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

    The financial package includes a credit of $120 million and a grant of $70 million from the International Development Association and a grant of $20.25 million from the GEF.

    The Nordic Development Fund will provide an additional EUR13.1 million to improve resilience in the coastal regions, and the French Facility for the Global Environment will fund light infrastructure, land-use planning, and nature-based solutions against coastal erosion worth EUR1.3 million.

    More partners are expected to join the effort through a new Platform that will boost the transfer of knowledge, mobilise additional finance and foster political dialogue among countries, and to protect the West African coast.

    Through the International Waters (IW) focal area, the GEF helps countries jointly manage their transboundary surface water basins, groundwater basins, and coastal and marine systems. IW investments facilitate integrated cross-sectoral approaches that engage the private sector, non-governmental organisations and multilateral institutions.

  • States advised to remove hindrances to land ownership for river basins

    The Federal Ministry of Water Resources has called on state governments to remove all barriers preventing the River Basins from having rights to land ownership.

    The Director, River Basin Operations and Inspectorate, Mr John Ochigbo, said doing this would promote the realisation of the food security target of the country through investment in agriculture.

    According to him, the government alone cannot meet the country’s agriculture needs, citing challenges of insufficient funds, saying Nigerians need to take ownership of these programmes.

    He said there was  need for states governments to remove all encumbrances on land ownership and acquisition, saying this was one of the challenges facing the river basins in the country.

    “One of the encumbrances we have is around land acquisition, and this is the area that we need the cooperation of the state governments to facilitate the issuance of titles to river basins for them to be able to acquire necessary lands to develop and hand over to farmers.

    “We call on the states governments to assist us in facilitating the release and acquisition of lands for farming in their various states.

    “I want to use this opportunity to invite investors who are interested in this sector to come and join us in this effort, the government does not have sufficient funds to do it all alone, so we need the funds of the private sector to come into this business,’’told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that

    He noted that the minister of water resources had in the last one month appealed to the Economic Council and the governors to assist the ministry and the Federal Government to remove all encumbrances around land acquisition.

    According to him, doing so will make it possible for the goals and targets of the river basins to be attainable, so we can launch fully into this programme.

    Ochigbo said the ministry was working to reverse the ugly trend which saw abandonment and years of incomplete projects in the basins.

    This he noted would be done through the formulation of a Blueprint and Action plan to repositioning the River Basins in the country, hence the promotion of agriculture.

    According to him, part of the programme is the inauguration of the Graduate and Youth Empowerment Programme which has benefited no fewer than 500 unemployed youths.