Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, announced on Wednesday that the Aliko Dangote Foundation will soon unveil plans for a climate fund aimed at assisting flood-prone areas across Nigeria.
In an open letter, Dangote expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for his “leadership and farsightedness” regarding the Bar Beach land reclamation project in Victoria Island, Lagos. He highlighted how the project transformed a flood-susceptible coastline into a burgeoning new district.
“Asiwaju of Africa, your foresightedness is even more visible in view of the tragic incident in Kerr County, Texas, USA where over 100 lives have sadly been lost to flash flooding,” Dangote wrote, drawing a stark comparison.
He lauded the success of the Eko Atlantic City project, identifying it as one of the president’s numerous legacies.
Dangote also commended President Tinubu’s broader infrastructure initiatives, specifically mentioning the Lagos–Calabar coastal highway and the Sokoto–Badagry superhighway, describing both as “transformative and long overdue.”
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The letter reads in part: “Your Excellency, I would like to express my deep appreciation to you for your visionary leadership and farsightedness on the Bar Beach Land Reclamation project in Victoria Island, Lagos State. Through this project, begun a process which has transformed a coastline that was once prone to incessant floods, to an emerging new district, with a defining skyline and a receptacle for direct investment and socioeconomic growth ever since its conception in 2008.
“Asiwaju of Africa, your foresightedness is even more visible in view of the tragic incident in Kerr County, Texas, USA where over 100 lives have sadly been lost to flash flooding. In the case of the Eko Atlantic City project spawned by you, a modern city spanning 1,000 hectares, protected by an 8.5-kilometre-long sea wall, protecting Victoria Island from coastal erosion and giving birth to a dwelling constructed from new land created through sand dredging from the Atlantic Ocean.
“Your Excellency, this success story, which is now being used for residential, business, and recreational purposes, is amongst your many legacies, and those of us who live in Victoria Island are much better off for it.
“I applaud your exemplary intervention in ending the era of ocean surge and in continuous tackling the issue of perennial flooding affecting areas such as Ahmadu Bello Way, Akin Adesola Street, Bishop Oluwole Street, Amodu Ojikutu Street, Adetokunbo Ademola Street and Karimu Kotun Street, among others.
“Mr. President you added another feat by kickstarting the Lagos – Calabar coastal highway and the Sokoto – Badagry superhighway- significantly enriching the country’s stock of infrastructure while improving the national road network linking Nigeria’s six geo-political zones.
“The latter of the two, being a resurrection of a 48-year-old project and both being handled by a first rate construction and civil engineering firm in Hitech Construction Company Limited.
“Indeed, Your Excellency, your inspired move recalls a similar methodology in a land reclamation process in Zeeland, Netherlands, where submerged land was transformed into usable, dry land, primarily for agriculture and settlement. This practice, which was applied to combat flooding, is a testament to the Dutch ingenuity and perseverance in managing water resources and creating a habitable landscape in a challenging environment. The same ethos resonates in the Bar Beach project, for which I salute you!.”
