Lagos Water Transportation Gets A Boost As Sanwo-Olu Unveils 15 Locally Fabricated Boats

• Governor Sanwo-Olu marked the first anniversary of his second term in office with the launch of 15 boats.

• The boats were locally manufactured and expected to herald a new era of local boat assembly.

• Hence, the Lagos government and an indigenous manufacturer have partnered on an assembly factory.

Eko Hot Blog reports that Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday, marked the first anniversary of his second term with the launch of a fleet of new high-capacity ferries.

They were fabricated and assembled in Lagos to cruise the state’s inland waterways and create a new transportation choice for commuters in the city.

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“The 15 boats have the capacity to carry 40 passengers each as against the 20 passenger limit in the existing vessels,” a statement from the state government said.

The Lagos government said the ferries were manufactured by Caverton Marine in a factory jointly run by Lagos State Government and the private firm. The factory is located in Badore area of Eti-Osa.

The inauguration of the Omi-Bus carriers marked the completion of the first manufacturing phase in the partnership, with the new ferries immediately deployed for commercial operations by Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) to provide effective mobility options for the residents.

Sanwo-Olu, joined by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, and members of the State Executive Council, took inaugural ride on the boats, sailing from Badore to Ikoyi. The journey took an average of 27 minutes.

Aside enhancing rapid connectivity between communities in the State, Sanwo-Olu said the development would further catalyse economic prosperity by saving hours lost in traffic, while also optimising public investment in water transportation.

The governor said the inauguration of the locally fabricated ferries, designed to operate on Cowry Card payment system, underscored his administration’s dedication to sustainable partnership that advance the development of intermodal transportation system in Lagos.

Creating viable waterways transportation, Sanwo-Olu said, aligned with his Government’s strategic vision to engender pollution-free mobility means that would improve life quality and productivity.

“This initiative is a testament to our commitment to creating an integrated, multimodal transportation system that makes daily commutes smoother and more seamless,” he said.

“The launch of these ferries reaffirms our dedication to enhancing the quality of life for all Lagosians, while investing in infrastructure that promotes safety, reliability and convenience for the public.”

Sanwo-Olu disclosed that additional 25 high-capacity ferries were expected to be fabricated in the second phase of construction in the boat factory.

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This, he said, would further reduce the turnaround time in waterways transportation, while expanding ferry services to more routes.

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