Release Date October 1 2010 – Eko Atlantic city that will rise from the ocean on reclaimed land has started to be seen on television screens in 200 million households and hotel rooms across the region of Europe, the Middle East and Africa.The ambitious marketing campaign on CNN 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.
An Eko Atlantic 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 Utudeko, the Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria Plc, one of the city’s key partners in the project.
‘The main objective of Eko Atlantic is to create a world-class international city,’ explains Ronald Chagoury during the 50-second commercial. ‘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. ‘For us we see a future. A future that is defining. A future that is satisfying. A future that brings best practices and a future that develops a hub for business.’
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 compelling television commercial closes with defining words from Executive Chairman Chagoury. ‘We believe that when the city is finished, Eko Atlantic will be one of a kind.’
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 coastline 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 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,’ says David Frame, the Managing Director of South Energyx Nigeria Limited. ‘Our advertising campaign on CNN is designed to increase the awareness of Eko Atlantic at a time when we are close to starting to prepare plots of land for our first buildings.’
The reclaimed land for Eko Atlantic is protected by the Great Wall of Lagos that is being built more than a mile off the coastline of Victoria Island and will act as a barrier between the new city and the power of the Atlantic Ocean. The wall passed the first kilometre mark earlier this year and will stretch seven miles when it is completed. As the power and potential violence of the sea is being tamed by the Great Wall, a century of accelerating land loss is being steadily reversed. Ships are taking sand from outside the reclamation area and repositioning it to recover the natural coastline.
The city will have its own integrated power systems, modern and efficient facilities for drainage, sewage treatment and irrigation. Its drinking water, telecommunications and transport networks will be independently operated.
The Eko Atlantic campaign on CNN will run into the first quarter of next year. In addition the city’s brand name will also be seen as one of the co-sponsors of the CNN i-List Nigeria week of special programming, led by Isha Sesay, the presenter of CNN’s Inside Africa show.
The programming will culminate with the 50th anniversary of Nigeria’s independence, looking at its past achievements and exploring the challenges ahead.
In late 2009, the visionary city was recognised by the Clinton Global Initiative as ‘An environmentally conscious city, built with nature to restore an original coastline and protect Victoria Island, Lagos, from the severe risk of ocean surge and flooding’.
The nine million square metres of land that is being reclaimed from the sea will be a prime area for development, set within the ambitious urban design of a modern, environmentally aware city.
Eko Atlantic is the result of a joint strategic partnership between solely private investment and the State of Lagos and is strongly supported by the Nigerian federal government.