The Landmark Beach Resort, a renowned tourism spot located in Victoria Island, Lagos State, is under imminent threat of demolition due to the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project. The Federal Ministry of Works has marked sections of the property for removal to make way for the 700-kilometer road that is set to extend through nine coastal states in Nigeria.
The Landmark Beach Resort, valued at over $200 million, sits on the beachfront along the Atlantic Ocean and hosts a multitude of businesses that collectively provide over 4,000 direct employment opportunities. The iconic Third Mainland Bridge may soon have a rival in the form of this ambitious infrastructure project.
The proposed route of the highway encompasses various key locations, including the Lekki Deep Seaport in Lagos and stretches through Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Cross River, Rivers, Edo, and Akwa-Ibom states. The road design includes five lanes on each side of the dual carriageway with a train track running through the middle, constructed by Hitech Construction Company.
This significant project received approval from the Federal Executive Council, with a whopping ₦1.06 trillion earmarked for the initial construction phase. The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has disclosed that the highway will be built using concrete, highlighting the scale and durability of the endeavor.
Despite its infrastructural importance, the planned demolition of the Landmark Beach Resort has sparked intense public debate. The resort, which houses over 80 enterprises contributing to the regional economy, has urged the government to consider rerouting approximately 1.5km of the highway to preserve their investments.
With substantial investments exceeding $100 million poured into developing the Landmark Beach Resort ecosystem, the potential loss of this business entity looms large. A clash between development goals and economic interests underscores the complex dynamics at play in the implementation of large-scale infrastructure projects.
The delicate balance between progress and preservation of existing establishments remains a focal point in the ongoing discourse surrounding the coastal highway undertaking. As stakeholders navigate through these contentious waters, the fate of the Landmark Beach Resort hangs in the balance, emblematic of the broader challenges posed by infrastructure development in a rapidly evolving urban landscape.
Credit Gist New Today News in Newspaper Nigeria Headlines