This call came during a courtesy visit by the Senate Committee on Marine Transport to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the Lagos House in Marina.

Leading the Senate Committee on Marine Transport to Lagos, Senator Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni, the Chairman of the Committee and former Deputy Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, underscored Lagos’ significance in the blue economy, with 70 percent of sector activities occurring in the state.

He highlighted key challenges, such as non-state actors, illegal collectors, and ocean surges, that must be addressed for the growth of the blue economy.

Senator Eshinlokun-Sanni urged Governor Sanwo-Olu to fulfill his promise to complete the automated trailer call log system, known as the Call-Up System, to alleviate port access traffic issues.

Additionally, he called on the governor to address ocean surge problems in coastal communities in the Lekki-Ajah corridor.

In response to the Senate Committee’s requests, Governor Sanwo-Olu recognized the significance of Lagos in providing a home to the majority of maritime agencies under the committee’s purview.

He pledged support for the committee’s work and appealed to the federal government to assist the state in establishing additional trailer parks to complement the state’s efforts in mitigating the Apapa gridlock.

The governor stressed the importance of reducing business bottlenecks to facilitate economic growth and increase government revenue in Lagos State, particularly in the blue economy sector.

He urged the committee to provide recommendations and suggestions to the National Assembly on advancing the country’s blue economy.

Governor Sanwo-Olu acknowledged the immediate attention given by the administration of President Bola Tinubu to bridges leading to various ports in Lagos and called for collaborative efforts to streamline business operations.

The Senate Committee continued its oversight visits to maritime agencies in Lagos, including the Nigerian Ports Authority, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, and the Shippers’ Council in the state.

According to him, the proposed Port Ondo will go a long way to decongest the Apapa Port in Lagos State.

The Governor stated this while speaking at the South-West Export Enlightenment and Engagement Forum in Akure.

The theme of the event was “Maximizing Export Potentials In The South-West Region For Economic Growth”.

While explaining that goods are moved through the Sunshine State to the Southeast, Southsouth, Northwest and Northcentral, Akeredolu noted that Ondo State is strategically positioned.

Akeredolu stressed that investors have already shown interest in developing the Port, saying the state has the deepest draught in West Africa.

“Everything going to southeast or South-South and the North must pass through Ondo state. All these activities will make us advise the federal government on the importance of Port Ondo.

“Apapa will be decongested. We can boast of the deepest draught in west Africa. We are ready and we have done our work and people have shown interest. It is a pity we have to go through a lot of protocols including the port declaration,” the Governor said.

Akeredolu said the Akure airport which was originally designed as a cargo airport should be given due attention so that it can serve its purpose.

“The airport in Akure is so busy now but it is not serving the purpose for which it was established. The Akure airport was established as a cargo airport.

” We have said it should have a refrigerated area where people can refrigerate their goods before exporting them,” he said.

Director-General of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, who confirmed this in a statement on Thursday, stated that no deaths or injuries were recorded in the incident.

He added that emergency responders, including the LASEMA response team and officials of the state fire service, were on ground to salvage the situation.

“Distress calls were received at 12.05 am concerning the above incident and upon arrival at the above-mentioned scene, it was confirmed that a truck with an unknown registration number loaded with AGO had fallen due to suspected brake failure,” the LASEMA statement said.

“This resulted in the obstruction of free vehicular activities along the corridor.

“A multi-stakeholder team comprising Agency responders, LRU Firefighters, Lagos State Fire Service, LASTMA, LSNC, and the Nigerian Police worked together to evacuate the impediment off the road.

“The Agency heavy-duty equipment (Super metro) was used for Recovery, while the area has been blanketed to prevent any secondary incident. The operation concluded with no loss of life or injury,” he said.

Boss Mustapha who was represented by the Permanent Secretary (General Services Office), Olusegun Adekunle, listed the local government areas as follows; Mainland, Abuja Municipal, Mushin, Eti-Osa, Tarauni, Katsina, Alimosho, Maiduguri, Kosofe, Dutse, Ikeja, Nassarawa, Oshodi/Isolo, Apapa, Amuwo Odofin, Oredo, Bauchi, Lagos Island, Surulere and Ado Odo/Ota.

Mustapha said “We want to sensitise Nigerians on the dangers of this development. We urge Rotary to help us take the awareness further. The risk management team is available to share a strategy with the organisation. The ravaging effect of COVID-19 pandemic was there for everyone to see, including the impact on both governance and the economy. It is for us to strategise for a new way of life. A good number of staff have not been at work for the past four months. The impact of this on the economy is glaring. The fatality rate is quite high. We keep telling Nigerians that please these are not just numbers, but brothers, sisters and colleagues that have passed on. Some groups and clubs have been trying hard for us to control this. The resources needed to fight the virus are enormous”