LASG launches 15 locally-built ferries

Lagos State Government and Carverton Marine launched 15 locally-built ferries Omnibus FRP 40-seater passenger ferries, aimed at revolutionising and enhancing waterway transportation and addressing the road traffic congestion that plagues Lagos State.

While speaking on Wednesday, at the commissioning and handover ceremony of the ferries at the Caverton Marine Shipyard at Badore-Ajah, Lagos, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said with 22 per cent of the state’s landmass covered by water and waterways surrounding 42 out of its 57 local governments, there was important potential for marine transport.

He said that the project would enhance the integrated transport system and address traffic congestion.

Sanwo-Olu said the investment was designed to facilitate the safe and efficient movement of people, goods, and services across the city, contributing to its economic growth.

“The government would ensure none of the verticals around public transportation would be left unattended,” he said.

“The 15 new locally-built 40-seater passenger ferries inaugurated mark the first phase of a broader plan to enhance marine transportation in Lagos, with a total of 25 ferries planned,” Sanwo-Olu added.

Explaining further, the governor said the new ferries, crafted to international standards with only the engines sourced from abroad, symbolise a shift towards local manufacturing and backward integration.

Earlier, Mr. Olabode Makanjuola, the Chief Executive Officer of Caverton Offshore Group, stressed the significance of the project in enhancing mobility and reducing road traffic congestion, “as well as to improve the quality of life for all Lagos residents through strategic infrastructure development.”

He added that the project aligned with the transportation vision of the Sanwo-Olu administration, which aims to create an integrated transportation infrastructure to enhance connectivity and mobility across the state with an improved water transport system.

Makanjuola noted that the ferries, which were constructed in Lagos, were certified by both Bureau Veritas and the Standard Organisation of Nigeria “and are also equipped with essential safety features, ensuring a secure and comfortable journey for passengers on the inland waterways.”

Makanjuola said, “The project symbolises Caverton’s unwavering commitment to local development, innovation, quality, and safety while acknowledging the support of the state government in integrating water transportation into its intermodal transportation system, rather than merely a corporate social responsibility for coastal communities,”.

Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, the General Manager of Lagos State Waterways Authority, noted that the initiative was a bold step towards achieving a more efficient, sustainable, and accessible transportation system.

Emmanuel said, “The Omi-Bus Ferries project was not just about improving transportation but also about transforming lives, movement, connecting communities, fostering economic growth, and reducing the stress and congestion that often characterise daily commutes,”.