Lagos govt moves to tackle ecological challenges in Lekki Free Zone

The Lagos State Government will hold a one-day stakeholders’ meeting to tackle various environmental, ecological and social challenges along the Lekki Free Zone corridor.

The Managing Director, Global Impact Environmental Consulting Ltd., Dr Babatunde Osho, made this known in a statement issued in Lagos on Tuesday.

Our Correspondent reports that the Lekki Free Zone, created in 2006, as a modern free zone and managed in accordance with international best practices, is now a major hub of industrial activities.

Currently, the Lekki Free Zone, located on 16,500 hectares of land is divided into four quadrants and managed by various operators, benefiting from Lagos State’s position as the premier distribution hub in West Africa.

The zone boasts of both local and foreign investments running into billions of dollars, amongst which are the largest oil refinery in Africa and a fertiliser plant.

Others are, the petrochemical plant, a sub-sea gas pipeline project under construction and the largest deep-sea port in West Africa, primed to open up access for export to West Africa and beyond.

Osho, in a statement, said with all these huge investments, various environmental, ecological and social challenges required urgent attention.

“To tackle various environmental, ecological and social challenges along the Lekki Free Zone corridor, the Lagos State Government is carrying out a critical assessment of the existing situation along the zone.

“To address these challenges, there is need for the state government and indeed all relevant stakeholders to implement appropriate environmental and social safeguard instruments.

“The Lagos State Government through the Office of Public-Private Partnerships is carrying out the assessment with a view to developing high-level safeguards updates for the Lekki Free Zone,” he said.

Osho noted that the Global Impact Environmental Consulting Ltd., had been engaged by the Office of Public-Private Partnerships to develop appropriate environmental and social safeguard instruments.

He said the firm would conduct Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA); develop a holistic Land Acquisition and Resettlement Policy Framework as well as an efficient and Fit-For-Purpose Environmental and Social Management framework.

He said the firm would also conduct a robust air and groundwater quality modelling for the area as well as develop Biodiversity Management Action Plan.

Osho noted that consequently, a stakeholders’ meeting on the project had been slated to hold this Wednesday.

He said the meeting was to inform critical stakeholders of the imminent commencement of the assessment with a view to developing the necessary instruments.

Osho said that this was to mitigate any environmental, ecological and social challenge that might be thrown up in the nearest future.