Lagos Launches Africa’s Longest Canopy Walkway

Hands Over Park To Private Managers
LAGOS State Government recently commissioned the long awaited Family Park and canopy walkway located at the Lekki Conservation Centre, Lekki.

The canopy walkway, which is the main attraction of the tourist destination, is 401 metres long and 22.5 metres high. It is being described as the longest in Africa and the second largest in the world, ranking alongside Danum Valley Canopy Walkway in Malaysia (300 metres-long and 27 metres-high) Baumwipfelpfad, Germany 1300 metres long and 25 meters-high) and Kakum Canopy Walkway, Ghana (330 metres long 30m- high).

Speaking at the event, the state governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola the initiative was driven by the need to sustain the environment.

Nature doesn’t need people, but it is people who need nature and this reason that man must protect nature, he said. “If we leave this place for another 50 or 100 years, and nobody came here, all the floor games will disappear and nature will take over. We will move on but this place will remain.

But in whatever form that it remains, whether it has benefit for the next generation or not will be defined by what we do today. As we hand over the Family Park and the Canopy Walkway, I hope the Foundation will achieve the objectives to which the initiative was set for,” said Fashola.

The President of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, Izoma Philip Asiodu said the establishment of Lekki Conservation Centre (LCC) was born out of NCF’s commitment to conserve Nigeria’s vast natural resources.

With NCF Headquarters in Lagos it was desirable to have a conservation project site within Lagos metropolis that will serve as a biodiversity conservation and environmental education centre, he said.

The Commissioner for Tourism and Intergovernmental Relations, Disun Holloway said the park is the state’s contribution to boost foreign tourism earnings, and a form of economic empowerment for the people of Lagos.

According to him, about 527 people were employed while constructing the park and 56 staff will be engaged as direct staff when the park opens for operation.

He however said the tourism ministry cannot estimate the amount expended on the project. “We calculate this kind of project interim of employment generation,” he said.

He said the amusement park at Apapa, another project funded by Lagos state Government, is 95 percent near completion.

He also said the traffic congestion in Apapa will soon disappear because there is going to be cooperation between the state and the federal government now that APC is in government at both the state and federal levels.