Lagos — Lagos State government is to establish Eko Atlantic City, out of the reclaimed areas of the Lagos Bar Beach in Victoria Island Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure, Mr Adesegun Oniru, who disclosed this in Ikeja yesterday, said government would soon embark on the project at no cost to the state government.

The project, according to him, would witness construction of residential estates and hospitality resort on reclaimed areas of the bar beach by foreign and local investors. The project would start in January 2008.

According to him, the project was meant to push the ocean back to where it was in 1950s, by reclaiming about 80 square kilometer of land."The project has been given to a developer, who would turn the reclaimed land to a tourist haven and Eko Atlantic Real Estate. The proposed City, which will be constructed on 80 Square kilometre of land recovered from the bar-beach, is expected to be bigger than the present day Victoria Island."

Oniru said first phase of the extension work at the Bar-Beach would cost the state government about N1 billion, adding thatpermanent solution to the Bar Beach ocean surge which took of flast year had already attracted international observers from the United States of AmericaOniru said he would soon travel to the United States to make proper presentation for the award.