- Says Oshodi world-class transport interchange’ll be ready in 15 months
By Moshood Adebayo
LAGOS State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode has approved the electrification of 37 rural communities around the border town of Seme.
The government said it plans to engage 54 private firms to provide street lights in the state.
The state also plans to reconnect another 32 communities in the Apa, Owode, Seme border area of Badagry, which had been cut off from the national grid for the past 16 years.
Speaking through the state’s Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Olawale Oluwo, the governor also said about 600-kilometre network of roads and streets in 366 locations in the state had been lit up in the last one year under the ‘Light Up Lagos’ project initiated by his administration.
Ambode also said the state’s five Independent Power Plants (IPP) had saved the government millions of naira.
Although he was not specific on the amount of money saved, he said but for the IPP projects, huge sums of money would have been incurred in operating and maintaining power generating sets.
The project, he said, had enabled the lighting up of major areas of the state, including Muritala Muhammed Airport Road, Berger to Iyana Oworo axis, the Third Mainland Bridge, Ikeja and environs and Oshodi axis.
In a bid to ensure sustainability of the project, he said the state government had fine-tuned plans to engage 54 private firms, which would be saddled with the responsibility of managing the streetlights.
He explained that most of the streetlights were connected to the IPP in the state, namely; Akute Power Limited, Alausa Power Limited, Mainland Power Limited, Island Power Limited and Lekki Peninsular Power Limited.
“The saved resources are now being channelled to lighting up more locations within the state under the operation ‘Light up Lagos’ initiative of the present administration,” he said.
He warned against destruction of street light poles and cables by the residents and said whoever damages any of the facilities would bear the cost of re-fixing them.
Ambode also said the long awaited regeneration of Oshodi into world-class Central Business District (CBD) will commence next week with the construction of a transport interchange which will feature the consolidation of all 13 cities and interstate parks in Oshodi into three multi-story bus terminals.
The three floors, which will be 30,000 square metres for each terminal will take care of parking and passenger demands.
Governor Ambode, who spoke at a stakeholders’ forum put together by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development on the planned regeneration of Oshodi, said the project was in line with his administration’s determination to transform Oshodi into a world-class CBD with business, travel and leisure activities conducted in a serene, secure, clean, orderly and hygienic environment.
The governor, represented by the Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Mr. Adebowale Akinsanya said the project would be delivered in 15 months.
Addressing stakeholders, including community leaders, transport workers, marketmen and women and others at Oshodi Youth Development Centre, Ambode said: “The Oshodi you see today shall be a thing of the past in the next 15 months as a world class transport interchange will be coming up.”
In her presentation, Ambode’s Special Adviser on Urban Development, Mrs. Yetunde Onabule said the concept of the regeneration plan is premised on a three-pronged approach including urban renewal, environmental regeneration as well as transformation and security.
She said Oshodi, in its present state, currently accommodates about one million pedestrians with about 100,000 passengers daily accessing the 13 parks scattered within the area, while 76 percent of the area is dedicated to transport and related activities, which led to serious traffic congestion and other environmental issues.
Onabule said the new Oshodi CBD would not only reduce crime in the area, but, also, address the environmental nuisance locations and areas of confusion often associated with the area.
She said the new plan would also boost intra-tourism by making the area a tourist destination and increase the economic value of the state, where business, travel and leisure activities would be conducted in a serene, secure, clean and orderly environment.
The project, which she said is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative between the state government, represented by Ibile Holdings, Translink Capital Development Limited and Planet Projects Limited, would see the consolidation of all 13 cities and interstate parks in the area into three multi-storey bus terminals to cater for parking and passengers’ demand.
Onabule further explained that the Terminal One running from Mosafejo Market Axis would be for inter-state transport activities, while the Terminal Two and Three running from the former Owonifari Market and adjacent to National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) respectively will cater for intra-city transport activities.
She said the terminals would have standard facilities including waiting area, loading bays, ticketing stands, driver lounge, parking areas, rest rooms among others. The Sun
