The Lagos state government has been urged to build a 50 to 100 years master plan for the development of its coastal line.
The president of Shoreline Developers Association of Lagos, Lai Omotola stated this during the inauguration of the association, saying the state’s coastal line occupies 40 percent land mass.
According to him, the association was established to foster development towards improving lifestyle and living conditions.
‘There is a need for us to move from crisis response to long term strategic planning,’ he said.
He described the association as self-regulating, science and technology drive and climate complaint, saying the essence of shoreline development transcends sand filling.
He highlighted the economic potentials of shoreline development, saying it helps to unlock fisheries, wind farms, coastal railway, Marina, renewable energy and eco-tourism potentials.
He raised concerns over the global threats associated with shoreline, calling for a deliberate approach between the state government and association to curtail it.
‘There is an urgent need for a comprehensive drainage network design and implementation, shoreline master plan, social and environmental impact assessment and deployment of high end technology.
‘Shoreline is a luxury that comes with global threats of sea level rise, intense storm surges and ground water extraction sinking at 4mm per year. There cannot be a better time to pay attention to threats to the environment,’ he said.
He added that the state must prepare for the impact of the Lagos-Calabar coastal road project, saying houses affected by flood along the coastal road were not designed according to the master plan.
‘The Lagos- Calabar coastal road is not responsible for flooding, it is the people that built below the coastal road. They were building without a master plan, building below their foundation.
‘The coastal road was built according to the master plan. A lot of them will have to demolish and build according to the master plan,’ he warned
He urged the state government to seek beyond revenue and focus on development of super infrastructure, stressing that it will yield more revenue.