Beyond a Smart City: What Eko Atlantic is doing for Lagos
By Zion Rufus
From city-wide high-speed internet, proper network of water canal system that can transport you from one part of the city to another, to a protective wall, constant electricity, and efficient waste disposal, Eko Atlantic City is rapidly becoming Nigeria’s first Smart City.
Eko Atlantic, the Smart city for Lagos which adjoins Victoria Island district of Lagos metropolitan area and Lekki phase 1, sits on 10 million square metres of land reclaimed from the Atlantic Ocean.
Following the devastating storm in 2005 which caused the collapse of the Bar Beach, and a great damage to the lives and livelihoods of thousands of people in Victoria Island and Lekki, it became an urgent need to reclaim the land that had been lost to 100 years of coastal erosion; led by Ronald Chagoury, Chairman of South Energyx Nigeria Limited, the city planners and developers of Eko Atlantic City, Eko Atlantic City has been able to reclaim almost 70% of that land.
To prevent further coastal erosion, the Eko Atlantic City is now protected by an 8.5 kilometer-long and 12.5m wide sea wall dubbed “The great wall of Lagos”.
The Great Wall of Lagos sea revetment stands at eight-and-a-half metres above sea level and has a promenade built on it which provides a tremendous amount of recreational space to residents and a large parking space for non-residents looking to take advantage of the ocean front open area and impressive ocean views.
The Great Wall has been designed to withstand the worst storms in 1,000 years and a sustainable solution to the consistent loss of land. The wall currently protects over 6 million square metres of Eko Atlantic and Victoria Island. It was tested to its limits in Copenhagen at the Danish Hydraulic Institute.
The infrastructure within the city include a 1,500m long 8-lane boulevard and tree-lined streets, well-planned road network, an underpass to curb traffic within and outside the City, mariners which can accommodate about 300 vessels, an independent clean and treated water supply that meets the WHO standard, well-planned sewage collection system, underground surface drainage pipes that pass water back to the ocean, underground storm drainage pipes, sewage treatment plan which converts sewage to fertilizer, tree nursery with the capacity to produce a minimum of 250, 000 trees, independent reliable electricity, advanced fibre optic telecoms, and clean water utility services installed below street level, and 15 bridges.
The street lamp posts were made from the best concrete in Ibadan and locally sourced. The lights are LED bulbs, chosen for better illumination and consumption of less energy compared to incandescent bulbs. Eko Atlantic City would also be home to the largest shopping mall in Sub-Saharan Africa, and a world-class international school. The existing buildings in the City include the Azuri Peninsula, a unique steel and concrete residential building project that consists of three sets of over 30 storey towers; Eko Pearl Towers; Eko Energy Estates. There would be townhouses in place to promote affordable housing.
The Atlantic City is designed to provide the space and infrastructure to house 250,000 residents and become the workplace for about 150,000. The City will satisfy financial, commercial, residential and tourist accommodations, with infrastructure in line with modern and environmental standards.
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