Lagos state government has requested a N400bn aid from the federal government in saving the state from erosion.
Commissioner for Water Front Infrastructure Development, Kabiru Abdullahi, made the appeal on Wednesday at a ministerial press briefing, NAN reports.
He announced that Lagos had constructed groins and needed to more wade off violent ocean currents eating up the nation’s coastline.
Abdullahi lamented that the situation was compounding environmental degradation, erosion and flooding.
On the Eko Atlantic City Project, he said so far, 18 groins have been constructed at 400 metres intervals covering a distance of about 7.2 kilometres.
“We still have about 60 kilometres to go which is estimated to cost about N400billion,” he said.
The official lamented that not a dime of the Ecological Funds have been accessed on this and has all been financed by the state.
Abdullahi disclosed that there are issues with some federal government agencies on certain activities, land speculations, reclamation of land for urban development and dredging.
He appealed that protection of the Nigerian coastline should not be left for the state to handle alone.
The commissioner added that “the recently released tranche of Abacha loot of about 313 million dollars is supposed to also go into infrastructure. I don’t think of any better infrastructure that would do justice other than this one”.
On activities of illegal sand dredgers, he said that the practice posed danger to the culprits, adding that regulations would soon be unveiled.
