Lagos To Boost Waterways Investment To Ease Road Congestion
The Lagos State Government has announced plans to deepen investment in waterways and other alternative transportation systems as part of efforts to ease traffic congestion and improve the movement of people and agricultural produce across the state.
The Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Ope George, disclosed this during the 2027 Budget Consultative Forum organised by the ministry, with the Ikeja Division hosting the opening session.
George said the government recognised that expanding roads alone would not adequately address Lagos’ growing transportation needs, stressing the importance of an integrated multimodal system involving rail, waterways and last-mile buses.
According to him, the state is particularly focused on expanding inland water transportation to support economic activities and reduce pressure on the road network.
“It’s a multimodal transportation system. We are not just building roads because we can’t build enough roads to take us where a lot of people in Lagos are,” he said.
The commissioner also disclosed that the state was working towards introducing electric ferries as part of efforts to modernise water transportation and make the system more sustainable.
George said Lagos’ extensive waterways presented significant opportunities for expanding water transport, including the bulk movement of agricultural produce and other commodities.
He explained that transporting food and agricultural goods through the waterways would help reduce the volume of heavy traffic on the state’s roads.
The commissioner added that the annual budget consultation was designed to ensure that residents and other stakeholders contributed to determining the state’s development priorities.
He said the consultation for the 2027 budget cycle had commenced, with the government reviewing requests made during the previous year and providing updates on completed and ongoing projects.
George acknowledged that not every request could be implemented within a single budget cycle, but said the engagement allowed the government to explain what had been achieved and why some projects remained outstanding.
He further disclosed that Lagos had recorded at least 80 per cent budget performance over the past four years, while internally generated revenue performance stood at about 80 per cent as of the middle of the year.
The commissioner said the current budget was largely focused on consolidating and completing ongoing projects before the government embarks on new ones.
The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, Olayinka Modupe Ojo, urged residents and other stakeholders to actively participate in the 2027 budget consultation process.
Ojo said their contributions would help the government identify spending priorities and ensure that public resources were directed towards addressing the most pressing needs of communities.
She described budgeting as more than the allocation of funds, noting that it involved making decisions that directly affect the lives and welfare of residents.
The Permanent Secretary said the consultative forum provided an opportunity for government, communities, businesses, students, traditional institutions, professional bodies and civil society organisations to contribute to the state’s development plans.
She added that feedback and data gathered during the consultations would provide an important basis for decision-making and the formulation of the 2027 budget.
Ojo said the administration’s shared prosperity agenda was aimed at ensuring that government programmes and policies had measurable impact across communities and were not limited to a few segments of society.
She identified critical infrastructure, transportation, healthcare, education, housing, social protection, food security, energy, digital transformation and support for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises as key areas receiving sustained government attention.
