L-R: An Engineer from the Lagos State Office of Infrastructure, Mr Tokunbo Oyenuga; Special Adviser to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Works and Infrastructure, Mrs Aramide Adeyoye and a Town Planner, Oladimeji Animashaun, representing the Commisioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Omotayo Bamgbose-Martins during stakeholders with Eti-Osa Local Government Area residents towards dualisation of Alpha Beach Road at Alausa.

By Grace Alegba

The Lagos State Government on Thursday said it had given the deserved attention to infrastructure development and delivery for the wellbeing of the residents.

The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Omotayo Bamgbose-Martins, said this at a stakeholders meeting held in Alausa for the dualisation of Alpha Beach Road, located in Eti-Osa Local Government Area.

The meeting, held with the Eti-Osa stakeholders, was jointly organised by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development in collaboration with its Works and Infrastructure counterpart.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Alpha Beach road, which is off Lekki-Epe Expressway, is also called Omo Oba Murphy Adetoro Road.

The project has a length of about 1.9km and width of 14.6m, and will link the proposed Coastal Road.

Bamgbose-Martins, represented by Oladimeji Animashaun, a town planner, said the project was in line with the THEMES Agenda, to improve traffic flow and assist the socio-economic development of the entire Eti-Osa axis.

He said the Sanwo-Olu administration began year 2023 on good note with inauguration of iconic projects such as the Blue Rail Line, Imota Rice Mill, Dangote Fertilizer Plant and the Eleko-Epe Road.

“The dualisation of Alpha Beach Road is yet another that is capable of further articulating the economic potential of the Lekki axis as the development zone of the state.

“Therefore, I make bold to say that this administration has earned a reputation as a progressive one that is paying the deserved attention to infrastructure development for a 21st-century Lagos, which is evident on many fronts, including education, public health, and transportation, where the state is growing rapidly as a result of the addition of the facilities required for the wellbeing of the people.

“Therefore, I am elated that the proposed dualisation of Alpha Beach Road in Eti-osa Local Government Area is coming at this point in time when the populace are able to assess the government, based on the delivery of electoral promises of which transportation and traffic management are important components,’’ he said.

The commissioner said the stakeholders’ meeting was organised to have inputs of residents, discuss issues Right of Way (RoW) recovery and other activities for the successful take off of the project.

Bamgbose-Martins said the meeting was well publicised to ensure adequate information on the modalities for the establishment of the RoW and other requirements for payment of compensation to affected property owners.

He appealed for support of the residents towards successful execution of the project while urging citizens to always comply with physical planning laws, build right and avoid illegal constructions.

The Special Adviser to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Works and Infrastructure, Mrs Aramide Adeyoye, said the project was being executed in partnership with Zenith Bank under the government’s Public Infrastructure Improvement Partnership Project.

She listed other projects being built in partnership with other private sector partners and commended Zenith Bank for the project and others it had undertaken in the past.

Adeyoye urged other private sector partners to join in such collaboration, while giving a brief of the project being upgraded to be built with rigid pavement to carry heavy axle load for longevity.

She assured that CCTV cameras would be included in facilities on the road project as requested by a stakeholder, for effective monitoring after completion by community development associations.

Adeyoye, however, expressed disappointment over absence of the members of the Lekki Estates Residents and Stakeholders Association (LERSA) who were important stakeholders on the project alignment.

She said there was opportunity for further future engagement with stakeholders on the project while listing ongoing collaboration with the private sector in the area of road constructions.

“I am a little disappointed that LERSA is not here,’’ she said.

Adeyoye called for continued support of stakeholders to government while appealing to residents to take ownership of the project and prevent it from all forms of abuse prevalent on the Eti-Osa axis.

Earlier, while giving a brief, the Project Director, Mr Tokunbo Ajanaku, said the Alpha Beach Road constructed between 1990 and 1994 would be upgraded to a dual carriageway to connect 20 estates.

Ajanaku, a certified Engineer from the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, said the project would also link the proposed Coastal Road project with proper drainage channel and service ducts for future passage of cables and utility lines.

He said that site clearance would warrant demolition of some properties on the Right of Way, adding that, efforts were made through design adjustments to reduce the number of houses to go down.

Stakeholders at the event including Mr Uneku Okpanachi, a lawyer, took turns to raise concerns which were addressed.

However, Mr Dayo Joshua, who earlier appealed for inclusion of CCTVs in the project, also called for rehabilitation of inner estate roads that were destroyed as a result of traffic diverted on them for take-off of the main project.

Alhaji Razak Olokooba, a civil society representative from Eti-Osa, applauded the government, saying it was not right to give commendation for good deeds and not to always give negative commentaries.

“We are interested in the good things you are doing for the people so that we can balance it,” he said.

Edited by Oluwole Sogunle

By Olatunde Ajayi

Trailblazer Initiative Nigeria (TBI), a non-governmental organisation, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Nigeria has started training some youth activists to end rising cases of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Nigeria.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the three-day training was to strengthen the youth participation in policy advocacy.

The training also involves reporting on the elimination of Female Genital Mutilation(FGM), Gender Based Violence(GBV), violence against women and children as well as child marriage.

The Executive Director, TBI, Mr Dare Adaramoye, said that the pilot phase of the project, funded by UNICEF, would be implemented in three Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Oyo State due to high prevalence of FGM in the selected locations.

According to him, the LGAs selected include Ibarapa East, Ibarapa North and Kajola LGAs of Oyo State.

Adaramoye, the UNICEF facilitator, said that the selected youths from the LGAs were identified during community mapping and because of their previous efforts in making changes in their localities.

He also said that the youth would be adequately trained on policy advocacy and reporting.

“FGM brings complications such as intense pain, excessive bleeding, urinary inconvenience, difficulties during menstruation, clitoral neuroma and difficulties during sexual intercourse and childbirth, among others.

“We noticed that the state has many policies on FGM and other GBV, kept on the shelves, while many people are not aware of as their rights.

“We are engaging youths from different communities because of the peculiarities of each community.

“So, the youths residing in these communities would be trained to advocate for the policy makers, traditional leaders, religious leaders and other decisions maker in their localities on issues that concern FGM and other forms of GBV.

“They will also be documenting stories of change because we need to monitor events and see the effectiveness of UNICEF programmes in the state.

“This is to bring it to the awareness of the public, for people to know the changes, challenges, the lessons learned and the way forward,” he said.

Adaramoye noted that the 10 youths activists were picked from the three LGAs; including one participant from state level for the pilot phase of the project with the aim of extension to other LGAs of the state in subsequent phases.

He urged people to always speak up and report whenever they noticed cases of FGM around them to build safer society for every girl child in the state.

Commenting, Mr Lateef Ariori, Director Child, Welfare Oyo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social inclusion, said that FGM was still on rise in the state.

He attributed the rise to issues such as traditional and religious beliefs as well as monetary gains of local circumcisers who sees FGM as their daily business.

Ariori said that State Ministry of Women Affairs, in collaboration with UNICEF and TBI, would continue to organise sensitisation programmes with relevant stakeholders such as legal practitioners, security agencies and religious bodies among others.

He urged the selected youth activists to put in their best to the project to achieve the set goal of thw society; with no cases of FGM and other forms of gender-based violence.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Olawunmi Ashafa