Posted on June 21, 2023
Nobody wanted to tell the story behind the pain of many residents of the coastal settlements of Lekki in Lagos. A few people said it had better be buried in a secret grave forever. When this reporter probed further, he found a narrative told with grief.
Lekki was a blossoming town of aquatic splendour blessed with green vegetation and rich biodiversity. But the government would endorse a multi-billion naira seaport to grow the national treasury, create thousands of jobs and enable the development of a semi-urban community. It now appears that that is at the expense of the environment and local fishing communities.
The $1 billion Economic-Friendly Seaport
Inside the multi-billion Lekki Seaport
On 23 January, President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated the Lekki seaport, described as the deepest in sub-Saharan Africa. On a build, own, operate, and transfer (BOOT) basis, the seaport project, a 45-year concession, was awarded to the Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise Limited (LPLEL) by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). Occupying 90 hectares of the 830 hectares of land reserved for the Lagos Free Zone (LFZ), the port was constructed by the China Harbour Engineering Company Limited (CHEC).
On several occasions, the Lagos government had said it would generate $201 billion from the Lekki deep seaport when completed. It described the project as “a game-changer and a pacesetter”. The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) added that the new port would contribute $361 billion in economic impact in 45 years. The ICRC projected that $201 billion would be generated from revenue, royalties, duties and taxes while $158 billion would be gained from direct and indirect business impacts.
Fishermen hunting for fish on the seashore
Before the construction of the Lekki seaport, an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) was conducted on the 90 hectares of land the project would occupy and its host communities. The project site was surveyed for assessment of the human, biological and physical environment following the federal government’s Environmental Impact Assessment Act of 1992.
In the assessment document, environmental experts predicted there would be adverse impacts on traditional livelihoods, noting that fishermen would likely be restricted from operating in the channel area during dredging and marine infrastructure construction. They observed that the project would hurt the terrestrial ecosystem of the port site vegetation, soil and the removal of wildlife habitat.
They foresaw, again, that dredging of the harbour and access channel, construction of marine infrastructure, and disposal of dredged material would injure the space’s biodiversity. They expressed fear of an adverse impact on the marine ecosystem resulting from the maritime shipping activity, noting that the landscape’s biodiversity would be in danger, primarily due to the induced urbanisation of the community. They recommended that a management system be put in place to mitigate the negative impacts of the project.
“The environmental and social management system will include the preparation of detailed standard operating procedures for all port activities as well as comprehensive emergency preparedness and response plans to deal with accidents that could threaten the health and safety of workers, nearby residents, and the environment,” the document stated, showing commitments to mitigating environmental hazards on the Lekki shore.
Danger Across and the Tears of a People
In October 2022, this reporter witnessed a wave of magic bricks turning into modern houses and industries in Lekki town. In Magbon Segun village, for instance, the sea rolled up into a mountain, roared and simmered downward while a horde of helmeted Chinese workers engineered the Lekki Deep Port a distance away.
This woman heads home after a long but relatively successful fishing adventure on the Lekki seashore
However, such modern development comes with a price, including environmental impact and people’s livelihoods.
Life used to be good on the Lekki shore, residents said. Fathers fed their families with proceeds from fishing. Children looked up to their successful fishermen-fathers. Fishes in the Lekki streams beckoned on the people, and fish vendors smiled at one another at different points of sale.
But this rural life was disrupted for the people when the deep seaport emerged, causing many people deep pain. Now, the port has stripped the Lekki community of its charm and the people of their wealth. Catfish, tilapia and crabs were easy to catch; Chinese fish and sharks were the pride of a successful fisherman. But these aquatic blessings are disappearing, ruining the livelihood of the people, many of whom want to continue fishing.
