Don Doubtful of Eko Atlantic City’s Safety

Despite several assurances from the Lagos State Government about the Eko Atlantic City Project, a new district bordering Bar Beach, which is being constructed on land reclaimed from the Atlantic ocean, a hydrographer and consultant lecturer with University of Lagos, Dr.  Dupe Olayinka, at the weekend, raised fresh doubts on its safety.

When completed, the project, which is billed to sprawl on nine million square metres of reclaimed land, according to the state Governor, Babatunde Fashola, would provide housing to about 250,000 residents as well as go a long way to curb the menace of erosion, which is fast eating into the Lagos coastlines.

But laudable as the project appears, especially in tackling the problem of housing deficit, it has continued to be dogged by criticisms, one of which was reiterated by Olayinka at the 2013 World Hydrography Day Celebration held at Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Tagged, 'Hydrography – Underpinning the Blue Economy', this year's celebration which was organised by the Hydrographer of the Navy, who also doubles as the  President, Nigerian Hydrography Society (NHS), Rear Admiral Muhammed Inusa, the event saw several challenges trashed by the guest lecturers, discussants and captains of industries.

While admitting how laudable the project might sound, she stressed that unless proper monitoring is put in place, the Eko Atlantic City would not be safe, adding that the five cowries creek through which water should flow out of the commodore channel had been blocked.

She said: "I will like to state categorically that I have nothing against the Eko Atlantic City Project. It is a laudable project that will provide accommodation for thousands of people, as such, reduce the burden caused by housing in Lagos.
"But the fact remains that the hydro-dynamic process, which is a natural process must be monitored because whenever an activity is going on, definitely, there will be impact on the other side of the Gulf of Guinea and do not be surprised that the impact might be as far as Senegal or Cameroun.

"The truth is that it is too late to stop the Eko Atlantic City Project, but there should be a holistic approach in monitoring whatever process is going on around that area. Also, the hydrographic process around the Banana Island is such that when there are surges from the Atlantic Ocean, it goes through the harbour and commodore channel to the five cowrie creek."

She added: "So, the five cowries creek serves as a border zone for that area and when you block it through the Banana Island, definitely, there will be breakwater, which will go back towards the commodore channel and cause erosion.

"Unless there is proper monitoring, I do not think we have a safe environment there. We can see what happened in New York City through hurricane Sandy. When we have large storm surges, I am not sure what we have can withstand it."

She called on the government to consider the collaborative input of hydrographic surveyors, meteorologists and oceanographers, especially those with local content that know the layer of the land and water.

"To the best of my knowledge, there was no local content in the survey. We heard that they did simulations and contacted experts abroad, so maybe they want to prove to us that outsiders know more about our waters than some of us who have lived here for over 30 to 40 years."

In his address, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba, who was represented by the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas, said the Nigerian Navy (NN) was in the process of developing Nigeria’s hydrographic capability in line with the IHO’S 3- Phase Hydrographic Capacity Building Strategy.

He added that the navy has attained phase one of the development strategy, which is the ability to collect and disseminate maritime safety information, only in 2010 in collaboration with NIMASA.

He said: "The NN is currently on course to achieving the Phase 2 and 3 of the Capacity Building Strategy, which involves the creation of surveying capacity and the ability to produce nautical charts respectively.

"To this end, the NN is in the process of acquiring a hydrographic vessel from the United States of America and also upgrading the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic School (NNHS) to an IHO certified center of excellence for hydrographic studies."
On challenges facing the society, he said the slow pace is largely attributed to government’s will and poor funding which is an anomaly considering the huge financial requirement involved in hydrographic operations and the enormity of surveying Nigeria’s vast maritime domain.

He said: "Over the years, the activities of the NNHO have been solely funded by the NN and in order to improve the situation and place the society on a new pedestal, the NN is seeking the Federal Executive Council’s approval to upgrade the Hydrographic Department of the Nigerian Navy to National Hydrographic Agency (NHA)."

Source: Thisday Newspaper