Traffic problem on Lekki-Ajah road. Inset: Illegal
development on Lekki-Ajah road.
Photo: Dayo Ayeyemi
Various environmental abuses on the Lekki-Ajah
sub-region of Lagos State will soon be a thing
of the past as the state has signed a N300million contractual agreement with a foreign firm, Messrs Dar Al-Handasah for the preparation of a Comprehensive Infrastructure Master Plan for the region.
The project, according to the Resident Manager of Dar Al-Handassah’s Shair and Partners, Mr. Ga M. Abu-Heneidy, will commence immediately and be completed in June 2008. He said the infrastructure master plan covered the land use planning, infrastructure, drainage and roads, revealing that its completion will ensure that all existing estates are linked with common and central facilities like, roads, drainage and sewage system.
Meanwhile, the President of the Association of Town Planning Consultant of Nigeria (ATOPCON), Dr, Femi Olomola, while commending government for the initiative lamented government’s indifference to indigenous firms, saying the job should have been contracted to local companies.
According to him, indigenous town planning firms should have be given the opportunity to do the job, pointing out that they have requisite capacity to execute it.
He said, “I do not know when government will begin to recognize the expertise of the indigenous firms. It is worrisome that government is giving out a job which indigenous town planning firms can do without any hiccup to a foreign firm.”
Against speculations that local firms lacked capacity to execute the project, Olomola said it was not true, emphasizing that the foreign firm awarded the contract will still depend on local counterparts for relevant information on existing land use and drainage in other to execute the plan.
He stated that there were local town planning firms that could handle the project and even, syndicate it if the need arises.“When you are bidding for jobs, they will ask for your experience and capacity, but in this case, where are we going to have the capacity and experience when jobs that can easily be handled by indigenous firms are being contracted to foreign firms?” he stated.
Another local consultant who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune on condition of anonymity disclosed that government at no time advertised the project and that no indigenous firm bid for it. He pointed out that there was no way indigenous contractors would developed where job that are supposed to be executed by them are given out to their foreign counterparts.
Lekki sub-region is the fastest growing corridor in Lagos and the whole Nigeria in terms of physical development. It has the largest concentration of private estates development, siting of the Lekki Free Trade Zone, the proposed Lagos International Airport and Deep Sea Port. The region also has high potential for tourism development in view of the area having being surrounded by natural water bodies.
Some of the problems militating against Lekki sub region range from haphazardly arranged physical developments, poor linkages between private layouts and government schemes, lack of proper linkages between sewer lines, roads, drainage lines coupled with unapproved diversion of natural water courses and water bodies. Others are uncoordinated sand filling due to absence of benchmarks, flagrant disregard of town planning laws and regulations by developers.
The need for the blueprint was conceived in May 2007 after the meeting of all stakeholders comprising landowners, private developers, and corporate organizations with government on how to find lasting solution to various degrees of environmental degradations in the corridor.
The infrastructure master plan aims at ensuring even distribution of facilities and services among other things in order to avoid lopsided developments that have characterized the region. It is to address the sorry state of the environment along Lekki and its livability, which is becoming increasingly worrisome to all stakeholders.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Raji Fashola disclosed that master plans for Badagry, Yaba, Surulere and Alimosho among other sub regions would soon commence to guide physical development of Lagos. He pointed out that there is need for modern planning to meet the challenges being faced in the sub regions, saying his administration was committed to leave master plans as legacy for the future generation. He promised to ensure that as the master plans are being developed, they are legislating for implementations.
He assured stakeholders that the construction of the coastal road and the Fourth Main Land Bridge to complement the on going upgrading of the Lekki-Epe expressway will commence soon. He identified lack of proper linkages from road, water and drainage and uncoordinated physical development coupled with illegal sand mining as problems of physical planning in the corridor.
Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Bolaji Abosede, said his ministry and other stakeholders recommend Dar- Al-Handasah, which he said has proven records in Nigeria having produced the drainage and storm water master plan for Lagos Metropolis in the 1980s. Dar-Al-Handasah consultant is an international multidisciplinary organization of engineering, architecture, planning, environment and project and construction management based in Dubai.
He explained that a six technical committee are representatives of the developers, landowners and government. They are constituted to negotiate with the consultant on professional fees and look into the issue of cost recovery. He pointed out that the cost of the project will be borne by the stakeholders and that it will be at no cost to the state government.
The term of reference prepared and agreed by the stakeholders, he said include the update, the land use master plan of the project area, formulate a set of environmental planning guidelines, prepare solid water management master plan, review the previously prepared water transport master plan.
Others, according to him, are the preparations of waste/storm water collection, treatment and disposal master plan, a blueprint for the power/water supply system, preparation of conceptual layout for road network, landscape design and landscape irrigation system, conceptual plans for fire fighting system, conceptual plans and typical sections for the upgrading and expansion of the existing local roads and the proposed coastal road and the review of the current tourism plan.
