Jim-Kamal Vows to Wrest Lagos Waterways from Federal Grip, Eyes Billions in Revenue
By DAPO OLAWUNI
Otunba Lanre Jim-Kamal, a governorship aspirant on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform in Lagos State, has revealed plans to wrest control of the state’s waterways from the Federal Government and deploy them as a major revenue-generating asset, anchoring the proposal within a broader $50 billion foreign investment package he says will transform Lagos if he wins the 2027 governorship election.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Monday, Jim-Kamal outlined a maritime-centred economic agenda that he described as the cornerstone of his governance vision, citing constitutional shifts in Nigeria’s management of inland and territorial waters as the legal basis for his ambition.
“Before now, the control of the waterway was on the exclusive list, basically for the Federal Government, but today, in any state where there is water, it must be shared by the Federal and State governments. This is why we have the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy controlling maritime. We are going to synergise seriously with the Federal Government. We in Lagos State want to control our territorial waters. This is part of the places we intend to generate revenue for this state,” he said.
Jim-Kamal also turned his attention to Hyson Nigeria Limited, the body responsible for collecting dollar-denominated revenues from vessels that enter Nigerian waters to evacuate crude oil, arguing that Lagos State deserves a share of those earnings given that the vessels operate within its territorial domain.
“There is a board in Nigeria called Hyson Nigeria Limited. The work of that body is that all vessels coming to Nigeria to take our oil out, it is only the Federal Government that collects revenue from them in dollars. One of the first bills I will send to the State Assembly is that we want to control Hyson Limited, because they are coming to our land. Maritime business will thrive seriously under my watch,” he said.
On the $50 billion foreign investment package, Jim-Kamal said his international partners were prepared to direct funds into Lagos across several priority sectors including human capital development, healthcare, agriculture and critical infrastructure, with a strong emphasis on unlocking the state’s coastal and waterway assets to drive revenue and employment.
Beyond the maritime agenda, the aspirant announced a sweeping social welfare programme that includes a N150,000 monthly lifetime allowance for citizens aged 60 and above, housing support for unemployed youths, extended benefits for nursing mothers, free education at all levels, and free healthcare services. He also outlined plans for mechanised agriculture, mass housing schemes, road reconstruction and improved transportation systems designed to ease the chronic congestion that plagues Lagos.
Jim-Kamal pledged improved waste management systems alongside empowerment programmes targeting youths and women, and urban renewal initiatives intended to decongest commercial centres across the state.
On the internal politics of the APC governorship race, Jim-Kamal dismissed reports that Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat had been endorsed as a consensus candidate by the party’s power brokers, describing such narratives as false and misleading.
“There is nothing like an anointed candidate. President Tinubu has signed the Electoral Laws into law in order to give everyone a level playing field. Hamzat was backed by only five out of thirty GAC members, but they used the press to echo the narrative. I have also met them one on one. The Chairman of GAC has also denied it,” he said.
He nonetheless praised President Bola Tinubu as the number one democrat in Nigeria, insisting that the President does not impose candidates within the party structure, including in Lagos State. Jim-Kamal urged APC members to remain peaceful during the primaries and vote for candidates capable of delivering strong leadership for the state.
