Posted on October 22, 2025
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has stated that the Omi-Eko Project would transform Lagos waterways from barriers of separation into corridors of opportunity.
Speaking on Friday in Lagos during the official launch of the Omi-Eko Project, Sanwo-Olu added that the project was part of efforts to improve the transport system in Lagos.
The Omi Eko Project, meaning Water of Lagos, marks a new chapter in Lagos’ transportation history, focusing on building a sustainable, smart, and efficient water mobility ecosystem. Designed to ease pressure on the city’s congested roads, the initiative seeks to harness the state’s vast waterways to connect communities more efficiently while promoting clean energy and innovation.
The Governor stressed that the project is a comprehensive, future-oriented blueprint for sustainable mobility in neighbourhoods.
According to him, the project merges technology. “It pushes environmental stewardship, and it creates a smart design for our water waste that is not just navigated but is optimised. Our goal is clear: a Lagos where movement is seamless, where the air is cleaner, and where the waterways become corridors of opportunity rather than barriers of separation.”
Sanwo-Olu mentioned that the initiative is a blueprint for sustainable urban mobility, combining technology, design, and environmental stewardship to create a transport network that is efficient, inclusive, and green.
“We are not just improving transportation; we are redefining mobility. We are not just managing water; we are mastering the possibility,” he said.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Blue Economy, Mr. Damilola Emmanuel, highlighted that the $410m Omi Eko Project is the largest inland waterways investment in Africa.
He traced the evolution of water transportation in Lagos from the establishment of the Lagos State Waterways Authority under former Governor Babatunde Fashola to its expansion under Sanwo-Olu, who he said has brought life to the master plan and turned vision into reality.
Emmanuel explained that the project will deploy over 70 hybrid-electric ferries to reduce emissions and promote cleaner mobility.
“We are going to be upgrading 20 jets and terminals. We are going to be dredging and channelising 15 routes for safer and faster transport and capacity development for all stakeholders. And crucially, we are going to be funding the informal sector under the vessel industry transition programme,” Emmanuel said.
He acknowledged international partners, the Agence Française de Développement, the European Investment Bank, and the European Union, for supporting the project.
“This is no longer a dream; we are living the dream. As Lagos learns to move with its waters, it will discover the rhythms of its prosperity. The journey has just begun, and the future of Lagos lies in harnessing the blue economy for shared progress,” he said.
He said that projects like this are a way to build a water-based economy that works for all, from operators to passengers, from private investors to the citizens.
On his part the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Gautier Mignot, noted that the project enjoyed European Union sponsorship because it is on the Abidjan-Lagos Transport Corridor, which is part of the Global Gateways Strategy.
“Africa is home to some of the fastest-growing cities, presenting challenges and opportunities for transport systems, Lagos being a prime example. Scaling existing small-scale public transport networks to create more efficient and sustainable large-scale systems will improve accessibility and mobility with very concrete impacts on the daily lives of millions of urban dwellers in Lagos State,” he said.
Mignot noted that sustainability is essential to the global gateway’s transport objectives for Africa, with investments tailored to reduce the negative impacts of transport on health, the environment and climate change.
“This is the promise offered by Omi Eko through the promotion of greener, more inclusive and resilient urban mobility in Lagos. Each year, CO2 emissions will drop by 41,000 tonnes, and 25 million passengers will save, on average, three hours of travel time on the commuter trip at peak hour. We can anticipate that in the long term, the project will become the perfect means of transportation in Lagos,” he said.
Meanwhile, the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jean-Noel Barrot, described the project as one of the benefits of the partnership between Nigeria and France.
“This Omi Eko and the unique electric ferries will thrive amid rising sea levels and suppress carbon emissions,” Barrot posited.
