KEY POINTS

• Court orders sealing of Lekki waterfront property.
• Dispute centers on ownership, documentation and regulation.
• All activity halted pending final judgment.

The Lagos State government is weighing a N7bn investment in a jetty and new housing schemes at the Oworonshoki waterfront, part of a broader push to reshape communities along the city’s waterways after months of tension over demolitions in the area.

The Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Dayo Bush-Alebiosu, disclosed the plan on Friday during a press briefing in Lagos. He said the ministry had secured approvals not only for a jetty but also for residential developments that could extend the kind of real estate growth long concentrated on Lagos Island toward the mainland.

Oworonshoki waterfront plans advance

Oworonshoki, located in Kosofe Local Government Area, has been under scrutiny since demolitions carried out in late 2025, which the government described as part of an urban regeneration programme. Bush-Alebiosu, who hails from the area, said his ministry was not responsible for the demolitions. He added that he had reached out to affected residents and offered support where possible.

He framed the broader redevelopment as a difficult balance between social concerns and economic planning. According to him, poverty alleviation efforts often fall short, while large-scale infrastructure projects tend to create lasting economic benefits. The commissioner said the jetty proposal, estimated at about N7bn, remains under discussion with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who has requested further assurances before giving final backing.

Housing lifts Oworonshoki waterfront

According to Punch, Beyond the jetty, Bush-Alebiosu said the government has approval to roll out a housing scheme in Oworonshoki. He described the location as strategic, arguing that there is little justification for limiting high-end development to island districts when similar momentum could spread across Kosofe and nearby areas.

He said the planned Oworonshoki waterfront development could reshape property values across Ogudu, Magodo and Bariga. The ministry is also considering a fish market, which he described as long overdue in a coastal city. He questioned why residents still pay up to N2m for fish despite being surrounded by water resources.

Bush-Alebiosu also addressed enforcement along Lagos waterfronts, drawing parallels between illegal dredging in the state and oil theft in the Niger Delta. He said small-scale dredging operations, often carried out with canoes, receive less attention than heavy machinery but cause significant damage through illegal reclamation and blocked drainage channels. He said arrests continue and insisted he remains directly involved in enforcement efforts.