Get Guardian on GoogleThe Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, has announced plans to expand water transportation infrastructure, improve ferry services and integrate water transport with road and rail networks.
He disclosed this as part of his 100-point campaign manifesto, noting that his administration, through the proposed Omi Eko initiative, would dredge an additional 140 kilometres of water corridors.
He said he would also optimise 15 ferry routes and refurbish 27 of the state’s 47 ferry terminals to boost growth in water transportation.
Hamzat also pledged to procure 75 electric vessels as part of efforts to improve water transportation and increase passenger movement across the state.
According to him, the proposed interventions are designed to maximise the use of Lagos’ waterways as an alternative transportation network, given the state’s geographical features and road traffic congestion.
He further proposed an integrated transportation system that would connect rail, road and water transport under a unified ticketing arrangement.
“What this does is that it allows us to move more water. Lagos, we must know, is a water state. The lagoon must therefore be our third highway. One ticket, one turntable, one integrated service across rail, road, and water,” he stated.
Meanwhile, boat operators have charged the incoming government to introduce subsidies for boat engines and flexible repayment arrangements to help operators whose businesses have been affected by faulty engines, damaged boats and other operational challenges.
Outlining their expectations for the continued development of water transportation and the blue economy in Lagos State, they also called for the provision of more jetties, fuel stations and financial support
Deputy Chairman, Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters of Nigeria (ATBOWATON), Lagos State Chapter, Babatunde Segun, said boat operators struggle with inadequate jetties, forcing them to travel long distances to access suitable operating locations.
Segun stressed that more interventions were needed, particularly in remote communities where access to jetties and fuel stations remained limited.
He identified financial support for boat operators as another critical area requiring government attention, explaining that some operators had lost their boats or were struggling with faulty engines, thereby affecting their livelihoods and operational capacity.
Segun appealed for subsidies on boat engines and flexible repayment arrangements to enable affected operators to rebuild their businesses and return to optimal operations.
The ATBOWATON deputy chairman further called for sustained attention to waterway safety, security, youth employment and tourism development, adding that investment in these areas would create jobs, improve passenger safety and reduce pressure on Lagos roads.
Similarly, the Founding National Chairman of ATBOWATON, Dr Tarzan Balogun, called for greater attention to passenger safety, warning that accidents on the waterways could discourage patronage and undermine commuters’ confidence in water transportation.
He called for sustained collaboration among federal, state, and local governments to address the challenges confronting water transportation.
