Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode on Sunday inaugurated three newly acquired executive boats with a pledge to fully explore the tourism and economic potentials of the waterways in the State for the overall benefit of the people.
Correspondent, Adedoja Salam-Adeniyi reports that 25% of Lagos is water.
Speaking at the unveiling of the boats held at Caverton Jetty in Civic Centre area of Victoria Island, the Governor said the state government was committed to the implementation of the integrated transport management system designed to scale up water, rail and land transportation, saying that the grand plan is to divert at least two million passengers on the waterways daily thereby reducing traffic on the road.
Ambode said the boats and four Jet Skis recently acquired by the state government to ensure safety and fight crime on the waterways were prelude to major plans to fully activate the potentials of water transportation, while in coming months, the State Government would take delivery of additional seven commercial ferries, among other plans for the sector.
According to him, “This is a significant day for Lagos State as we commission three boats belonging to the Lagos State Government. We discovered that sometimes, we do not have the ability for our officials to go on the waterways to address issues relating to people and citizens that live alongside the waterways.
“As you aware, twenty-five per cent of Lagos is water and it is important that we put in the right initiatives that can actually make activities on our waterways to thrive and the also people living along the waterways to bring them into proper perspective.
“Sometimes when dignitaries come from other States or countries, they are not able to see the true side of Lagos from waterways perspective and that is one of the reasons the State Government decided that we would procure the boats that would help us to promote tourism in the State so that people can see the great potentials of Lagos State.”
For one and half hours on water, governor Ambode and his team also inspected the on going channelisation of the waterways and upgrade of Jetties.
