Lagos ‘ll lead Africa sustainable urban waterways, Sanwo-Olu

.Inaugurates Omi Eko” electrical ferry service

By Olasunkanmi Akoni and Nkirunka Nnorum

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has reaffirmed his administration’s committedness to transforming Lagos waterways from specified geographical features into captious corridors of economical accidental and sustainable transportation, saying Lagos is acceptable to pb Africa successful municipality waterways.

Sanwo-Olu made the remarks connected Thursday, erstwhile helium led different dignitaries to officially inaugurate the E410 cardinal Euro, 78 electrical ferry service, tagged: “Omi Eko Project,” to boost businesslike h2o proscription successful the State.

The launch, held astatine Five Cowries Terminal, Headquarters of Lagos States Waterways Authority, LASWA, Falomo, Lagos Island, was attended by distinguished authorities officials, improvement partners, cardinal stakeholders, assemblage leaders, and the property who witnessed the debut of the initiative.

Some of the dignitaries connected the juncture include: Former Governor, and Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, Chairman, All Progressives Congress, APC, Lagos, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, overseas partners, among others.

Under the project, successful collaboration with French Development Partners, the authorities authorities volition beryllium deploying 78 electrical ferries work boosting h2o proscription successful the State.

Speaking connected the ocassion, Sanwo-Olu, said, “For centuries, h2o has defined the bushed of Lagos. From the bustling commercialized canoes of our ancestors to the ferries that glide crossed our lagoon today, our communicative has ever been written connected water.

“But past is not conscionable what we inherit; it is besides what we take to create.”

Describing the Omi Eko Project arsenic a “bold statement” of intent, Sanwo-Olu noted that the task represents Lagos’ imaginativeness to pb the continent successful processing a sustainable, connected, and future-oriented h2o proscription system.

“This is not conscionable a task unveiling. It is simply a comprehensive, future-oriented blueprint that merges technology, biology stewardship and astute plan to make waterways that are not conscionable navigated but optimized,”he added.

Sanwo-Olu noted that the task would easiness postulation congestion, trim c emissions, and unfastened up caller economical opportunities crossed waterfront communities successful the state.

He continued: “The OMI-EKO Project is simply a comprehensive, future-oriented blueprint for sustainable mobility successful Lagos. It merges technology, biology stewardship, and astute plan to make waterways that are not conscionable navigated — but optimized.

“This is what cities astir the satellite are doing to face the duplicate challenges of municipality colonisation maturation and clime change. But Lagos is not waiting to drawback up. Lagos is mounting the pace.

“Today, with the motorboat of the OMI-EKO Project, we take to make past anew.

“This is not conscionable a task unveiling; it is simply a bold connection — that Lagos volition pb Africa successful gathering a sustainable, connected, and forward-thinking h2o proscription ecosystem.

“Our extremity is elemental yet profound: To marque question seamless. To marque the aerial cleaner. To alteration waterways from barriers of separation into corridors of opportunity.

“As we accidental successful Yoruba, “Omi ni ìyè” — h2o is life. It nourishes us, shapes our identity, and now, it volition transportation america into the future.”

In his goodwill connection astatine the event, Fashola, applauded the resilience spirits of Sanwo-Olu and his team, urged them to compliment the projects with connectivity links to the obstruction and roadworthy transport system.

State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, noted that the inaugural aims to importantly chopped question times, easiness roadworthy congestion, and connection residents a reliable and environmentally affable commuting alternative.

Earlier, Special Adviser to the State Governor connected Blue Economy, who oversees the Lagos State Water Authority, LASWA, Damilola Emmanuel, successful his code aft acknowledging the efforts of past governors for the realization of the initiative, described the inaugural arsenic a pivotal milestone successful the state’s unwavering committedness to sustainable development, cutting-edge h2o transportation, and astute metropolis innovation.

According to Emmanuel; “The Omi Eko Project is poised to revolutionize Lagos’s h2o proscription l...