Eko Expo Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos – The Lagos State Commissioner for Waterfront Development and Infrastructure, Prince Adesegun Oniru together with South Energyx Nigeria Limited, the developers and city planners of Eko Atlantic announced in Lagos on Friday, May 25, 2012 that a much-anticipated Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report has shown that the ongoing work of future city building for Lagos is in compliance with regulations.Royal Haskoning, the Dutch marine experts and supervisory authority over the marine engineering activities, carried out an environmental and social impact assessment on the Eko Atlantic reclamation project. In view of the scale of Eko Atlantic it is concluded that the Project will have major positive effects in restoring and protecting the shoreline and minimal side effects.
A scoping exercise was carried out to identify the main issues that needed addressing as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment. Following this, a report was prepared and the Terms of Reference for the EIA were agreed with the Federal Ministry of Environment (FMEnv), the body with national regulatory authority over the Project.
Extensive consultations have been carried out throughout the EIA process. They started during the scoping phase with meetings with FMEnv, the Lagos State Ministry of Environment (LASMOE) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
Following these sessions further consultations were expanded to cover a wider range of stakeholders and local community leaders. Consultation and liaison with relevant parties will continue.
The Eko Atlantic Project has completed a full and comprehensive Environmental and Social Impact Assessment on the entire land reclamation works and its sea wall protection as required under the Nigerian Environmental Impact Assessment Act No. 86 of 1992. The EIA has been carried out in accordance with these regulations.
The EIA was submitted to the Federal Ministry of Environment and underwent public consultation in November 2011.
In January 2012, the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Environment gave EIA Approval for Eko Atlantic reclamation works and sea-wall protection in combination with established procedures for ongoing compliance,
The new land-mass that will eventually spread across 10 square kilometres is protected by a sea revetment known as The Great Wall of Lagos. It will be seven kilometres long when completed. A detailed animated video describing how the Great Wall is being built both above and below the waterline a mile and a half off Victoria Island was revealed to the public for the first time during the Press conference.
