by Adim Esoeh
The Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives for Lagos state, Prince Rotimi Ogunleye, restated the state government’s commitment in ensuring multiple effects of the Lekki Free Zone project in terms of employment generation and the value to be added to the socio-economic lives of the people.
He declared this at a ministerial press briefing in Lagos yesterday while mentioning that the state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has approved the immediate release of another N740 million for the payment of compensation to host communities within the Lekki Free Zone and the Lekki-Epe International Airport site.
He said that an initial N66 million had been paid to owners of Parcel A lands which houses the Dangote Refinery and some other companies while the new compensation approved was for host communities of Parcel B, comprising Yegunda and Abomiti zones.
He reiterated that more compensation would be paid until all the host communities are fully covered.
“Before these parcels of land were acquired, they were being used for farming mostly by various families within those projects sites. With acquisition, there is bound to be compensation of the landowning families after a comprehensive enumeration and valuation exercises,” he said.
Ogunleye said that at a time of economic downturn, the state as the nation’s economic hub was providing the Lekki investment platform with huge potentials as the best destination for direct investment.
The project is expected to have a positive long lasting effect on both the state and country’s economy.