AEIAN commends Eko Atlantic for strong environmental compliance
Compliance
By Fabian Ekeruche
Lagos, Dec. 11, 2025 (NAN) The Association for Environmental Impact Assessment of Nigeria (AEIAN) has commended the Eko Atlantic City project for its “exemplary adherence to environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) standards.”
Dr Abbas Suleiman, President of AEIAN, gave the commendation during a visit to the project site at Victoria Island on Thursday.
Suleiman said many new-town development projects across Nigeria fail, particularly during heavy rainfall, because critical environmental impacts identified during assessments were not integrated into project design.
He noted that Eko Atlantic City stood out for embedding mitigation measures and establishing a rigorous environmental monitoring regime.
According to him, the city authorities operate dedicated monitoring units that take required measurements on a daily, weekly and quarterly basis.
The AEIAN boss said that the state and federal regulatory agencies also conduct regular checks to ensure full compliance.
He added that international financiers deploy auditors to certify that agreed standards are maintained.
“For a project of this scale, which is positioned to become a mini-Dubai in the future, no investor would commit funds without ensuring that the necessary environmental and social clearances are in place.
“Beyond government approvals, the professional community of environmental impact assessment practitioners has also given its tacit endorsement after assessing the project.
“As a body, we are proud to be associated with it,” Suleiman said.
Also speaking, the Managing Director, Eko Atlantic City Management Ltd., Mr David Frame, said that Eko Atlantic originated from urgent efforts to halt the rapid erosion of the Bar Beach coastline, which had lost about 2.5 kilometres of land over a century.
Frame said that by 2005, the beach had disappeared entirely, wiping out part of the adjoining Ahmadu Bello Way and placing Victoria Island at severe risk.
Frame said that the first two years of work required round-the-clock shoreline protection operations, with three shifts working during low tide to install two kilometres of sea defence in 18 months.
He added that a major storm in October the following year proved the necessity of the intervention.
“Without that wall, Victoria Island would have suffered catastrophic flooding with extensive property damage and, possibly, loss of life,” he said.
He credited the political will of the then Lagos State governor—now Nigeria’s president—for pushing the project forward at a critical time.
“With the marine works now at an advanced stage, we can confidently say that Victoria Island and Lekki Phase 1 are fully protected.
“There will never again be an erosion threat to Victoria Island,” Frame said.
NAN reports that the team also made a tour of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
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Edited by Christiana Fadare