Formerly a derelict, Lagos Island will soon wear a new look with the reconstruction of Adeniji Adele road, Oke Popo and Tapa streets in Idumagba and construction of a new Massey Children Hospital that would be world-class. This is part of the initiative the Lagos Area North Action plan hopes to achieve, OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE reports.
The Lagos Island is a loose geographical term that is used to define the area of Lagos that is separated from the “mainland” by the main channel draining the lagoon into the Atlantic Ocean.
This part of the state is area where most business activities and entertainment events in Lagos take place. It contains a central business district characterised by high-rise buildings.
The Island also contains many of the city’s largest wholesale market places such as the popular Idumota and Balogun markets with the burden of broken down infrastructure of strategic roads, drainage, filthy markets and poorly equipped hospitals.
And for the inhabitants of this area, a fresh breath of modernisation is in the air. This comes on the heels of the “Lagos Area North Action Plan”, an initiative of the state government to restore the Lagos Island to its pride of place. This will include regenerating the decaying infrastructure across the area.
The ‘Lagos Area North Action Plan’, is also strategically targeted at redeveloping and rebuilding critical infrastructure on the island.
Consequently, gone will be days of seeing gutter run across people’s sitting rooms; drainage filled with filth and road with craters. It is also a bold step of the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s dreams of properly setting the state on the pedestal of a “Smart City”.
At a stakeholders’ meeting on reconstruction/upgrading of Adeniji Adele road, Oke Popo/Tapa road, the government said it would upgrade 56 roads and reconstruct drains, street lightings, Massey Children Hospital, among others, as part of the ongoing Action Area Plan to reconstruct/upgrade roads and other infrastructure in the state.
Special Adviser to the governor on Works and Infrastructure, Mrs. Aramide Adeyoye, who represented the SanwoOlu, said the infrastructure renewal/upgrade in the state began about 20 months ago, but that the Lagos Island Area North Action Plan, to upgrade infrastructure and tame flooding on the axis, started six months ago.
“The programme that we have cuts across board, so it is not as if we are focused on one local government or one senatorial district. It is my joy and privilege to announce to you that this is the time for Lagos Island; this is the time for Lagos Central,” she said.
She said the reconstruction/upgrade of the 2.2 kilometres Adeniji Adele road and the 1.069-kilometre Tapa Street were part of strategic roads being considered first because they provided access to the new Massey Children Hospital under construction.
“We will try to regenerate this place, so that is why it is called the Lagos Area North Action Plan and we will start with the roads, the hospitals and then the others.
“The plans that we have for Lagos Island roads are grandiose but they start in one day, no government can finish it all; we will take it in steps and in layers,” she said.
She said 17 roads, constructed about 17 years ago on the axis, all failed because the residents made drainage outfalls refuse disposal points, thereby compounding flooding and quick road degeneration.
Adeyoye said the degradation caused a lot of hardship for road users, hence the re-hiring of Julius Berger, who constructed the initial network of roads to handle the project.
She appealed to residents to stop blocking drains and canals to change the narrative of heavy flooding and bad roads on the Lagos Island. According to her, there will be fibre ducts for telecommunication infrastructure, so there will be no reason for people to cut roads for their cables.
She said most of the bad roads on Lagos Island were drainage-induced problems, adding that good roads needed free drains. Every road is as good as its drains.
“This project is ours and we must take ownership of it from the beginning,” she said.
Adeyoye promised to ensure minimal demolition of houses on the Right of Way of the reconstruction/upgrading of Adeniji Adele road and Oke Polo/Tata streets project alignment.
She said interlocking stones with upgraded thickness would be used for the projects to ensure durability.
Giving a brief of the project, Mr Tokunbo Ajanaku, Project Director, Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, said the network of roads was part of the government’s efforts to sustain the greatness of Lagos Island.
He explained the interconnectivity of Adeniji Adele road and Oke Polo/Tata streets to other roads on the axis.
Permanent Secretary, Office of Infrastructure, Mr Rotimi Thomas, said the three roads were strategic to the economic growth of the area.
Thomas said the project would create jobs, solve perennial flooding and gridlock on the axis and improve connectivity.
An official of Julius Berger, contractors to the project, Mr Gbenga Osunlana, promised that the firm would deliver “a project that will be able to stand the test of time,” and asked for cooperation among the locals.
Executive Chairman, Lagos Island East Local Council Develpoment Area (LCDA), Kamar Salau Bashua said his people have long yearned for the planned development. He said it would not increase property prices but also improve the quality of life of residents of Lagos lsland.
Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, hailed the state government for planning the redevelopment of the Lagos Island. He recalled that the last time any meaningful upgrade was done on the island was during the administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He appealed to the government to, in addition, build a recreation centre on the island to engage the youth.
He said: “Please take note of Idumagbo avenue and also remember to build into the redevelopment of the lsland the sand filling of the areas leading to Oba’s Palace (Iga Idunganran) and the precinct of the hospital donated by Zenith Bank. Care should also be taken to ensure that all water and electricity pipes dislocated or destroyed during the planned construction should be repaired before the contractor hands over the project.”
Member Lagos House of Assembly, representing Lagos Island Constituency 11, Afinni Olarewaju Suleiman, urged the contractors to engage the local artisans in construction. He said: “Our people must have the benefit of this redevelopment by employing the skilled ones amongst them.Care should be taken to ensure that the economic activities of our people are not unnecessarily disrupted.’’
Deputy Speaker, Lagos House of Assembly Eshinloku Sanni, stressed the need to construct AdenijiAdele road as dual carriage way and also asked for minimal disruption to the livelihood of the people during the duration of the construction.
A resident of the area, Jinadu Oshilano, urged the contractor to ensure that they carted away dirt collected from the drains. He frowned at a situation where filth would be excavated and allowed to find its way again into the drainages.
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