Lagos State government has reiterated its commitment to improved water transportation as it assured local boats builders that it would scale up their businesses by regularly patronising them in line with the vision of making water transportation one of the best possible alternatives.
Abdoulbaq Balogun, Managing Director, Lagos State Ferry Services (LAGFERRY), gave the assurances during an inspection tour of two major boat factories, V-Craft and Sierra Craft, in Lagos, stating that, the state government is confident that the effort would help to strengthen the economies of local boats builders, attract more interest in water transportation and bring daily traffic congestions on the roads to a barest minimum.
He stated that Governor Babjide Sanwo-Olu is fully committed to efficient water transportation system and has instructed that LAGFERRY must identify and patronise local builders who have the capacity and adhere to international standard best practices.
“We want to build the Eco system and ensure everybody is carried along in achieving the multi modal transportation initiative of the present administration to decongest the roads, so any manufacturer that has the capacity, we will patronise.
“We want to encourage local investors particularly those that have interest in water transportation and purchase the boats that are not just made in Nigeria but made in Lagos,” he said.
While informing that the state government intends to roll out commercial ferry services in couple of weeks to come, Balogun assured Lagosians of a new experience in water transportation driven by latest technology and built on safety, reliability, faster with efficient services, comfort and value for money.
By Oluseyi Taiwo-Oguntuase,
Independent Nigeria