11th November, 2020
Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Lagos State Ferry Services (LAGFERRY) AbdoulBaq Ladi Balogun, has said waterway transportation is the only solution to the gridlock in Lagos.
He said with more people being ferried across water to their destinations at shorter time, it would help decongest the roads.
Balogun who stated this in Ikeja, Lagos at the conferment of the Fellowship Member of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN) on him, water transportation would certainly help in freeing roads for seamless commuter services.
He said Lagos, as the ‘State of aquatic splendour’, is being surrounded by about thirteen lagoons and major rivers, notable among which are Lagos, Lekki, Yewa, Badagry, Ologe, Iyagbe, Kuramo, Apese, Epe and Mahin lagoons, all being fed by several rivers like Ogun, Ona/Ibu, Oshun, Shasha and Oni rivers.
Balogun explained that every part of the state, and all five of its administrative divisions were accessible via its waterways which boasted of over thirty jetties, and a long history of water travel, especially as means of commuting goods and imported merchandise to hinterland areas of the state.
“Not only are our boats safe and spacious, they are also fitted with state of the art technology like built in WiFi systems, on board entertainment systems, phone charging ports and trackers systems to ensure safety of lives and properties,”, Balogun said.
However, Balogun said he was elated to have received the Fellowship membership of NIMN, while enjoining all Lagosians to imbibe that culture of using waterways on daily basis.
Prior to the conferment of the award, Balogun became an associate member in 2004 and rose steadily through studies and practices to full Membership status in 2008.
The NIMN is the only authentic body for marketing professionals engaged in marketing and related fields with the responsibility to regulate and standardize marketing professional practice in Nigeria.
Hon. Balogun, a native of Ilorin, Kwara State was born in Ajegunle, Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State, 45 years ago.
He holds a B.Sc. (Hons) in Economics from the Lagos State University (LASU), PGD in Marketing from International Academy of Marketing, Masters in Business Administration from LASU and MBA degree in Leadership and Sustainability.