₦airaland Forum

Today, with the launch of the OMI-EKO Project, we take another decisive step toward transforming transportation in Lagos. This initiative strengthens our commitment to building a cleaner, safer, and more efficient city where water becomes a true channel for mobility and opportunity.

For generations, Lagos has been defined by water, yet our roads have carried most of the city’s movement. The OMI-EKO Project changes that narrative through focused investment in modern water transport.

The project has two key components. The first covers the construction of inland waterways infrastructure, including 15 priority ferry routes, the dredging and marking of 140 kilometers of channels, and the development of 25 ferry terminals and jetties with electric charging points, maintenance depots, and improved road connections.

The second focuses on sustainable operations, with over 75 electric-powered ferries, intelligent transport systems for ticketing and passenger information, and capacity building for the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA).

Our goal is to give Lagosians more options to move safely and efficiently while easing congestion and supporting economic growth.

I thank our partners, the French Development Agency (AFD), the European Union, and the European Investment Bank for their support in making this vision a reality.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, your excellency the governor, the minister, ambassador, distinguished ladies and gentlemen.

I came here to come and support a mentee of mine, Mr. Damilola Emanuel, who is the CEO of LASWA and the special adviser to the governor. I did not plan to make a speech. I just came to come and render support for a young man who takes his work very seriously and I'm proud to see what he has been doing.

But I couldn't pass up the opportunity to say a few words when he motioned to me that he had consulted with the governor and the governor wanted me to say a word or two.

So I start by also acknowledging another mentee of mine Temitope, who is now a veteran and Damilola is having a digging now that he doesn't belong to the youth again but one thing they show clearly is that young people can be entrusted with very great responsibility and they can acquit themselves.

And I must thank the governor who along with me about 20 something years ago were starry-eyed young men being mentored by another governor who is now president today. He entrusted us and this is the story of our journey.

Of course, Lagos has been busy lately on the waters from the E1 to Omi Eko and who knows what next. Kudos to the government led by Governor Sanwo-Olu and the entire team. Very well done.

Let me also say that you could not have picked better partners especially the French Development Agency. And for those who ask what is President Tinubu always going to do in Paris, the roots go very very deep. They are some of the most expeditious partners to work with when they commit. And I say that from experience.

At the time our government was planning to build the Mile 12 to Ikorodu BRT expansion road, all of the partners were giving us long lead times, long paperwork and the FDA said look listen, this is what we need. If you come around in so much time we will give you the money in this number of weeks and to their credit we finished the project before the end of time. And those of you who use the my Mile 12 to Ikorodu BRT lane today, these were some of the people who built and financed that road for Lagos State Government.

But the quick thing to connect to that is that those loans were taken whilst we were in opposition. So they were developments that were forged in opposition in very hot furnaces against the odds as is this building. This building was forged in opposition and LASWA was created in opposition but they have endured because we are now the party in government.

If you want to applaud, please applaud. This is what you did.

And this is my first time in this building but as I came in a lot of memories flooded in. How the opposition brought soldiers here and prevented us from building, how we fought back and how we delivered this place for LASWA as a model for public water transportation that will endure. Clearly that fight was worth it because this building endures and those who look after it, very well done.

It remains for me to say that the work for intermodal transportation in Lagos, linking the roads to the rail and to the waterways, continues. But I am confident that it will be done because I see that it is in very very good hands and the baton is passing down slowly to the younger ones who have the clear energy to run the race.

Well done and thank you

SANWO-OLU LAUNCHES €410M EU-FUNDED OMI-EKO PROJECT TO BOOST WATER TRANSPORT

•Project to inject 70 hybrid electric ferries, develop 140km ferry routes, 25 modern terminals

•‘Lagos ready to explore water-based economy’ — LASWA boss



OMI EKO — Lagos State’s long-anticipated inland waterways transportation project being developed in partnership with the European Union has transited from the blueprint to a reality.



Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Friday, formally launched the EUR 410 million waterways infrastructure project aimed at developing rapid transportation options that will address Lagosians’ mobility needs.



The project, divided into two components, will be implemented by the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), with the second component expected to be completed by 2030.



Lagos secured the funding for the project via the Global Gateway Initiative, the French Development Agency (AFD), the European Union (EU) and the European Investment Bank (EIB), which earmarked a subsidised loan of EUR 360 million for the project.



The first component of the project covers channelisation, marking and dredging of 140km of ferry routes from which Lagos will be developing 15 priority ferry routes, including constructing high-quality infrastructure and facilities.



The entire Inland Waterways Transport infrastructure comprises 25 ferry terminals and jetties with electric charging facilities to power e-vessels. There will be onshore depots for routine vessel maintenance, while land connections, including road surfacing, will be developed for other transport services connecting to ferry terminals.



Sanwo-Olu described the Omi-Eko launch as “historic”, noting that the event was not just an unveiling ceremony but a “bold statement” reaffirming Lagos’ frontline leadership in delivering a sustainable integrated water transportation ecosystem.



The Governor said exploring the full range of waterways transportation was a critical priority in his administration’s THEMES+ Agenda to transform mobility in the metropolis.



He said: “Every Lagosian knows the frustration of traffic. But a few will remember that Lagos began as a network of islands, knitted together by water. Long before bridges connected city, boats carried dreams, goods, and people across the lagoons. This water body nourishes us, shapes the State’s identity and now, it will carry us into the future.



“The OMI-EKO project is a comprehensive, future-oriented blueprint for sustainable mobility in Lagos. It merges technology, environmental stewardship and smart design to create waterways that are not just navigated, but optimised. This is the kind of innovative projects cities around the world are building to confront the twin challenges of urban population growth and climate change. Lagos is not waiting to catch up, we are setting the pace.”



The project, it was said, would reduce the negative impact of transport on health, while also reinforcing the State’s ability to fight climate change. It would promote inclusive, more resilient means of mobility.



The investment would bring decarbonised transportation in Lagos, reducing CO2 emissions by 41,000 tonnes yearly. It is expected to take 25,000 passengers yearly, saving travel time by 3hrs on each trip.



Sanwo-Olu said the investment’s objective was to make transportation through water seamless, reduce carbon footprint, the air cleaner and transform waterways from barriers of separation into corridors of opportunity.



The Governor said: “The launch of this project is more than a ceremonial curtain pull. It is a covenant with our people, our planet, and with future generations. With OMI-EKO, we are lifting not only boats but lives, businesses, and communities. We are signaling that Lagos is ready to lead Africa’s urban transition by this bold, sustainable, and inclusive investment.”



Former Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, who created LASWA in 2008, graced the ceremony to witness the historic project.



The former Works and Housing Minister hailed the Sanwo-Olu administration for nurturing the agency to a viable global entity.



Fashola said the OMI-EKO project would further expand the scope of the State’s integrated transportation network, expressing optimism that the project would not stall, given the commitment of the European partners.



Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Seun Osiyemi, said the project would unlock the full potential of Lagos inland waterways, bringing the final piece of the State’s Integrated Multimodal Transportation System to life.



“OMI-EKO aligns with broader Lagos Transport Policy, which promotes sustainability, inclusivity, and innovation, while ensuring that transport solutions serve the people while protecting the environment. The project is not just about ferry operations; it is about empowering communities, creating jobs, easing congestion, and reducing our carbon footprint.”



Special Adviser to the Governor on Blue Economy, Mr. Damilola Emmanuel, who doubles as LASWA’s head, noted that the OMI-EKO project was no longer a dream, but a reality that would be changing the course of transportation in Lagos.



He said the 70 hybrid electric ferries that would be deployed after the completion of the project would reduce pollutants’ emissions and boost clean mobility



The LASWA boss said 20 existing jetties would be upgraded with modern terminals across 15 major water routes.

Emmanuel said: “In the first phase, there will be dredging and channelisation of 15 ferry routes for safer and faster transport. Part of the benefits include technology transfer and capacity development for key agencies in the waterways, especially LASWA.



“There will be funding for the informal boat sector under our Vessel Industry. This is how we build a water-based economy that works for all — from operators to passengers, from private investors to our citizens.“



French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jean-Noel Barrot, said the project received complete support from EU partners, given the untapped opportunities in Lagos waterways.



The envoy said the OMI-EKO project represented the “best possible” example of what partnership could achieve for the benefit of the people, pointing out that the development was part of the success of the bilateral cooperation reached during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent visit to the French President Emmanuel Macron.



The EU Ambassador in Nigeria, Mr. Gautier Mignot, noted the partnership was an historical milestone for Lagos and EU member states, stressing that the investment would enhance life quality.



“This investment supports development of 12 strategic waterways corridors to enhance secure and efficient sustainable transport networks. Four of these corridors are located in West Africa. We are proud to be part of this project which showcases all the aspects of global gateway development,” Mignot said.





#AGreaterLagosRising
#LASG

Gov. @jidesanwoolu meets with French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jean-Noël Barrot at LASWA’s Green room, Five Cowries Terminal, Falomo, Ikoyi, on Friday, October 17th, 2025.

Meektunz:
Mtcheeeeew........... Nonsense thing. Why is he not attending to the important things?

Meektunz:
Mtcheeeeew........... Nonsense thing. Why is he not attending to the important things?

Meektunz:
Mtcheeeeew........... Nonsense thing. Why is he not attending to the important things?

naptu2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiqytvbEwBg?si=KMdYxqTmjpyM4XW7


Babajide Sanwo-Olu @jidesanwoolu



https://x.com/jidesanwoolu/status/1979267569652765065?[/quote]Lagos is the most developed state in Nigeria, those that govern Lagos are really doing their possible best to make that place a mega city, I give them their credits, all states can be executing such projects but corruption won’t allow those governors to see road

naptu2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiqytvbEwBg?si=KMdYxqTmjpyM4XW7


Babajide Sanwo-Olu @jidesanwoolu



https://x.com/jidesanwoolu/status/1979267569652765065?[/quote]God news.

Someone should call the finishing specialist to come and see good news oooooo.