April 9, (THEWILL) – The CEO of Landmark Beach Resort, Paul Onwuanibe, says he is in talks with all levels of government on rerouting the coastal highway to its original location.
Onwuanibe says its negotiations with the government involve adjusting the initial 1.5 km segment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
It proposes redirecting it along the undeveloped median of Water Corporation Road to avoid disrupting the resort’s business.
“I wish to confirm that we are in active talks with various arms of the federal and state government, including the Lagos State Government, the Federal and State Ministries of Tourism, and the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing as well as several interest groups and have received firm assurances that there will be no disruptions to business while we work to agree win-win solutions, including rerouting the first 1.5 km out of the 700 km stretch of the Road to its original location along the undeveloped Water Corporation Road median.
‘’We believe that with careful collaboration and consultation, a small number of other minor reroutes may be required to sustain the existing socioeconomic activity along the course of this road.
“I believe the Coastal Road is a commendable project by the government, which will significantly boost the economy, and engaged consultations (as are ongoing) will help determine ways of developing the Road while preserving the Landmark Group ecosystem businesses that are remitting billions of Naira in taxes annually while employing thousands of Nigerians.
“There are over 80 diverse businesses (over half of which are SMEs) operate from a world-class integrated location along the Water Corporation Road and, in synergy, provide a variety of corporate, leisure, hospitality, and tourism services to the over 3 million local and international visitors who come to our ecosystem yearly.
“We are in conjunction spotlighting Lagos as a viable tourism destination on the global stage and our location is arguably the most visited waterfront destination on the West African coast.”
Recall that Onwuanibe was written to about the property on March 19, 2024, by the Deputy Director (Development Matters Department) Tpl Shomolu O., on behalf of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.
According to the letter, the State Government noted that the sections of the property billed for demolition such as the Beach Resort, Kids and Bay Arena, Members Area, and Lagos Beach Club fall within the Right of Way of the proposed road project by 50 metres.
Ivory Ukonu is a versatile journalist with many years of experience, with entertainment and society reporting as her area of core competence.
