Lagos Govt Pays N740m to Lekki Free Zone communities

Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode

The Lagos State Government on Thursday said it had paid N740 million as outstanding compensation to communities within the Lekki Free Zone and Lekki-Epe International Airport site.

The state’s Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Rotimi Ogunleye, disclosed this at a news conference in Ikeja.

He said the communities were that of Parcel B of the zone, comprising Yegunda and Abomiti zones.

“Before these parcels of land were acquired, they were being used for farming mostly by various families within those projects sites. With the acquisition, there is bound to be compensation of the land-owning families after a comprehensive enumeration and valuation,” Ogunleye said.

He said already, modalities were being put in place to ensure hitch-free payment, adding that the payment would be effected immediately.

He said that the government had continued to engage the communities to convince them on the multiplier effects of the project in terms of employment generation and the socio-economic value on the lives of the people.

Ogunleye said the compensation was a continuous process, adding that N65 million was paid early this year for land owners affected by the ongoing Dangote projects in the zone.

He said before now, the host communities of the 3,000 hectares of land housing the zone, a company jointly owned by the state government and a consortium of Chinese investors, were heavily compensated.

Ogunleye said that more land owners would be compensated in due course at the end of verification and valuation.

He assured both local and foreign investors that all projects in the zone were fully on course and urged more investors to come on board.

“Within the free zone corridor, the government also conceptualised a deep seaport and an international airport as complementary project that will leverage on the massive production activities in the zone, with the added facilities for air and sea transportation,” he said.

He said the land acquired for the airport was about 4,000 hectares, while that of the deep seaport was about 590 hectares.