• Friday, March 29, 2024
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Lagos moves to avert Apapa experience in Lekki Free Trade Zone

Lagos moves to avert Apapa experience in Lekki Free Trade Zone
Lagos State government says it is doing all it can to avert the ugly experiences in Apapa, Nigeria’s premier port city, where congestion and gridlock resulting from inadequate and collapsed infrastructure have made the city uninhabitable and anti-investment.
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, who disclosed this at the launch of the new Alaro City at the Lekki Free Trade Zone (LFTZ), said the state government had perfected plans to construct coastal roads to link the zone to the mainland. This is in addition to a 5-hectare truck park that will contain both trailers and tankers that will be coming to the zone for business.
The LFTZ is home to many new developments such as the Dangote Refinery, the Lekki Deep Sea Port, an Airport, petrochemical and fertilizer plants, among other developments that will be attracting heavy vehicular and human traffic to that corridor in the next five to 10 years.
The governor, in his keynote speech at the launch, also disclosed that the state government hasd acquired about 750 hectares of land for the resettlement of the Ibeju Lekki and Epe indigenes who will be displaced by the coming developments, adding that the development of the Alaro City was part of the government’s responses to the anticipated challenges from the new developments.
Alaro City is a mixed-income, city-scale development with master-planned areas for offices, logistics and warehousing, homes, schools, healthcare facilities, hotels, entertainment and 150 hectares of parks and open spaces.  It is a joint venture development by Rendeavour, Africa’s largest new city builder, and Lagos State government, through their subsidiary, North West Quadrant Development Company (NWQDC).
The new city, on completion, will be sitting on 2,000 hectares of land. NWQDC is authorised by both the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority, and the Lagos State Government as an entity to develop, operate, administer and manage Alaro City.
Located in the North West Quadrant of the Lekki Free Zone, Alaro City lies in the growth path of Lagos, one of Africa’s fastest-growing cities with a population of over 20 million. The city is adjacent to the future Epe international airport, Lagos, and close to the region’s largest deep-sea port and major Nigerian and international companies.
“We welcome the substantial foreign direct investment Rendeavour is making in Alaro City, which will further enhance the Lekki Free Zone as the gateway of choice to Nigeria and West Africa as well as supporting the local community; the city symbolises government’s continuous support for private investors and fast tracking development,” Ambode said.
Stephen Jennings, founder/CEO of Rendeavour, said they were delighted to bring their successful inclusive city model to Lagos, the heart of Nigeria’s vibrant economy. “Our partnership with Lagos will ensure that Alaro City is an economically sustainable city open to all Nigerians. We already look forward to the development of Alaro City and to its 2,000 hectares, to accommodate the rapid growth of the Lekki Free Zone,” he said.