Landmark Beach Resort’s management has initiated negotiations with federal and state governments and interest groups to adjust the initial 1.5 km segment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, proposing to redirect it along the undeveloped median of Water Corporation Road to avoid disrupting the resort’s business.
Paul Onwuanibe, CEO of Landmark Africa Group, made this announcement on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday in response to a demolition notice from the Lagos State Government, which targeted the resort for being in the planned right of way of the highway, negotiations are underway to reroute the initial segment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and protect the resort’s location.
- “I wish to confirm that we are in active talks with various arms of the federal and state government including the Lagos State Government, the Federal and State Ministries of Tourism, and the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing as well as several interest groups and have received firm assurances that there will be no disruptions to business while we work to agree win-win solutions including rerouting the first 1.5 km out of the 700km stretch of the Road to its original location along the undeveloped Water Corporation Road median.
- “We believe that with careful collaboration and consultation, a small number of other minor reroutes may be required to sustain the existing socioeconomic activity along the course of this Road,” Onwuanibe’s post read in part.”
The CEO of Landmark Africa Group commended the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project for its potential to boost the economy and expressed optimism about the ongoing consultations.
Onwuanibe believes that these discussions will find ways to develop the road while preserving the Landmark Group’s ecosystem.
According to him, this ecosystem not only contributes billions of Naira in annual taxes and employs thousands of Nigerians but also provides a range of corporate, leisure, hospitality, and tourism services to over 3 million local and international visitors each year.
Backstory
- On March 18, 2024, the Lagos State Government, acting through the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, issued a notice to the management of multi-million-dollar Landmark Beach Resort on Victoria Island, along with other affected business entities.
- The notice stated that these establishments would face demolition within a seven-day period due to their encroachment on the designated right of way for the first phase of the expansive 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.
- The Lagos State Government has begun the demolition of structures infringing on the designated right of way for the Lagos-Calabar Highway Project. Nairametrics reported four weeks ago that the state government initiated the removal of illegal structures in Jakande Estate and Maiyegun, Lekki, aiming to reclaim land for the highway project.