Sanwo-Olu Warns Against Illegal Dredging, Land Reclamation at Lagos Waterfront Summit

 

By Kayode Olopade 

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has issued a stern warning to individuals and organisations engaged in illegal dredging, unregulated sand mining, and indiscriminate land reclamation across the state’s waterfronts, saying such activities will no longer be tolerated.

The Governor gave the warning on Thursday at the 1st Lagos State Waterfront Summit, held in Ikeja with the theme “Pressure on the Lagoon: The Lagos Experience.” The summit, organised by the Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure Development, focused on the growing encroachment of Lagos’ waterfronts by estate developers and other operators.

Sanwo-Olu lamented the continued degradation of the state’s coastal and marine assets, revealing that Lagos has lost over 80 percent of its shoreline in the past 50 years due to unregulated human activities, climate change, erosion, flooding, and displacement of coastal communities.

“Let me be perfectly clear: those who profit from illegal dredging, reckless land reclamation, and environmental destruction are jeopardising the future for generations to come, and Lagos will no longer tolerate it,” the Governor declared.

He added that his administration had embarked on strengthening the Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure Development to enforce regulations and ensure operators comply with environmental laws. Offenders, he stressed, would face the full weight of the law.

Delivering the keynote address, former Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dr. Muiz Banire, called for collective action to protect the Lagos Lagoon, describing its preservation as a shared responsibility.

“This is not the fight of the government alone. This is the fight of us all,” Banire said. He also criticised the Federal Government for allegedly misinterpreting the Supreme Court judgment in the long-standing dispute between Lagos State and the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), insisting the ruling did not confer ownership of waterfront properties on the Federal Government.

In his remarks, the Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Mr. Dayo Bush-Alebiosu, underscored the lagoon’s importance as a source of life, culture, economy, and identity for millions of Lagos residents. He warned that if urgent action was not taken, more communities, livelihoods, and opportunities could be lost.

“We have all witnessed how some coastal communities like Idotun village have been swept away. If nothing is done, more will follow,” he said.

Bush-Alebiosu also identified pollution, unchecked urbanisation, illegal dredging, and climate change as the biggest threats to the lagoon. Of particular concern, he noted, was the depletion of fish stocks, which has continued to undermine food security and the livelihoods of artisanal fishermen.

“If we continue down this path, we risk losing not only a vital ecosystem but also an irreplaceable economic asset,” he cautioned.

The summit brought together government officials, environmental experts, community leaders, and stakeholders to deliberate on sustainable strategies to safeguard Lagos’ coastal future.