Landmark Beach Resort, Lagos, to be Demolished For a Coastal Superhighway Linking Lagos to Calabar
When Lagos state authorities informed Nigerian business mogul Paul Onwuanibe in late March that he had seven days to vacate his multimillion-dollar beach resort for demolition, he initially thought it was an April Fools’ Day joke ahead of schedule.
In a government letter, Onwuanibe, 58, was informed that his Landmark Beach resort, a top-tier destination frequented by around a million local and foreign visitors last year, had to be removed as it “falls within the right of way” of a planned 700-kilometer (435-mile) coastal highway linking the former capital city to Calabar, a port city near the Cameroon border.
Reflecting on the unexpected notice, Onwuanibe shared, “One was amazement, second was concern, and the third one was, ‘is this real or is this an April Fools’ (Day prank in) advance?’”
Onwuanibe is the leader of Landmark Group, a real estate developer and a significant contributor to Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality sectors. His group’s leisure beach, recognized among Nigeria’s top seven beaches in 2023 by the Lonely Planet travel guide, is a lucrative feature of the 13-hectare mixed-use Landmark site along the Atlantic Ocean beachfront in Lagos’s affluent Victoria Island area.
Regrettably, the beach resort and other parts of the Landmark site on the coastal right of way are slated for demolition.
Valued at over $200 million according to Onwuanibe, the Landmark site houses over 80 businesses and sustains more than 4,000 direct jobs while generating over 2 billion naira ($1.5 million) in annual tax revenue, the company reported.
The federal authorities approved the new coastal road on February 27, as confirmed by presidential aide Temitope Ajayi. Ajayi expressed that the superhighway, once completed, would join iconic coastal routes globally like Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Highway and the United States’ Pacific Coastal Highway.
The initial segment of the 1.06 trillion naira ($841 million-plus) highway will be constructed in Victoria Island. The superhighway is projected to traverse nine coastal states in Nigeria and feature “five lanes on each side of the dual carriageway and a train track in the middle,” with spurs linking to northern Nigeria.
However, environmentalists warn that while the coastal road promises economic benefits, it also poses environmental challenges.
Lagos-based water and environment consultant Similade Adeodun noted, “It’s undeniable that the road construction will bring about significant impacts such as the destruction of wetlands, forests, and various habitats. Activities like sand filling and dredging along the coastal areas also raise concerns.”
Adeodun emphasized the importance of thorough environmental and social impact assessments before dismantling coastal businesses for the superhighway. He suggested exploring measures to preserve businesses like Landmark Beach, which contribute significantly to eco-tourism revenue.
For Onwuanibe, while the coastal highway presents opportunities, it should not come at the expense of thriving coastal businesses. He advocates for extensive consultations and studies to ensure a mutually beneficial outcome.
“The first thing would be to do a proper study and proper consultation with the businesses that are most affected along it. It’s a long-term project, so it requires more in-depth analysis,” he shared, expressing hope for a collaborative approach with the government to find a “win-win solution” that preserves both economic and environmental interests.
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