Guest at the Lagos Ferry Services (LAGFERRY)'s annual Valentine event and live viewing of the final football match of the African Cup of Nations. PHOTOS: OYEBODE OYETUNJI OYELADE
BY ADIGUN OLADITI NOSIMOT
Lagos State Government has assured residents of its commitment to fully explore and take advantage of the potential of the waterways.
The Managing Director, Lagos Ferry Services (LAGFERRY), Hon Abdoulbaq Balogun gave the assurance over the weekend during the agency’s annual Valentine event and live viewing of the final football match of the African Cup of Nations.
“Government is committed to exploring the full potential of the Lagos waterways and one of the things we can do by water is what we are doing today, having social events on the water, tomorrow it can be cargo movement and next can be people moving from one place to another”, he said.
While expressing appreciation to Governor Sanwo-Olu for creating an enabling environment for tourists, and people who want to make use of the waterways, Balogun pointed out that the event, apart from celebrating love, was also organised to support the Super Eagles to bring the trophy home.
He said, “This is an indoor event in an outdoor space. We are on the boat and it is sailing along the five cowries creek, This is water tourism that Lagos has started.
“We can traverse the entire Lagos State by getting through the waterways and that is what Lagos State is demonstrating to the entire world and it is part of the transformation agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu”, he added
On passenger safety and security, Balogun stated that a lot of safety parameters were put in place to ensure safety, saying “When it comes to security, we have the Navy and the Marine Police partnering with us today and also the regulator, the Lagos State Waterways Authority are here, as well as ensuring that everyone wears their life jackets on every trip”.
On the blue economy, he said that it would aid economic growth and development if properly harnessed, adding that this was what Lagos State had meticulously and deliberately developed over the years.
Balogun said the blueprint was contained in the Strategic Transportation Master Plan of 2002 when the current President Bola Tinubu was the Governor of Lagos.
