Independent Newspaper 12th October, 2010 Eko Atlantic city begins campaign on CNN By Charles Okogene

Eko Atlantic city, a city to be built on reclaimed land in Lagos, has started a campaign on the Cable News Network (CNN) to be watched in 200 million households and hotel rooms across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The ambitious marketing campaign was timed to coincide with the recognition of 50 years of Nigerian independence and a week of special CNN reporting from Nigeria called i-List, which is showcasing the anniversary.

The television commercial was produced by CNN International's in-house commercial production unit, Turner Commercial Productions, and highlights the concepts of the city and its development through a series of sophisticated computer-generated images.

The commercial features Ronald Chagoury, the Executive Chairman of Eko Atlantic, and Oba Otudeko, the Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria Plc, one of the city's key partners in the project.

The city is the result of a joint strategic partnership between solely private investment and Lagos State and is strongly supported by the Federal Government.

"The main objective of Eko Atlantic is to create a world-class international city," explains Chagoury during the 50-second commercial, adding: "We believe that Nigeria is a land of opportunities."

Amid the carefully blended mix of music, words and images, First Bank of Nigeria Plc gives a financial perspective towards the city. The commercial shows that Eko Atlantic will grow on land that is already rising from the sea adjacent to Victoria Island and that it is destined to become a new gateway to Africa.

The city is being planned and developed by South Energyx Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of the Chagoury Group. It is a city designed for sustainable living, visiting, commerce and business, as well as protecting the natural coastlines from erosion.

Eko Atlantic will relieve pressure on the overstretched resources of Lagos, generating space and opportunity. With its wide boulevards and its clean, green and congestion-free streets, Eko Atlantic city will be a striking example of modern urban development. A quarter of a million people will live in Eko Atlantic and work in its offices, shops, retail developments and services. Around 150,000 commuters will be on the move in the new city that will be a lively, vibrant place by day and by night.

"We have already reclaimed more than a million square metres of development land from the Atlantic Ocean and we are confident that African as well as international interest in the city will increase substantially," said David Frame, the Managing Director of South Energyx Nigeria Limited.