STAR FEAT Takwa Bay, Lagos where old memor
Takwa Bay beach is one of the most visited tourist destinations on Lagos Island accessed only by boat, but little do people know that beyond the popular beach is a community of almost 100,000 inhabitants living without the basic means of livelihood. It is a community which is a repository of old memories as revealed by
The ferry was about 25 minutes from the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) boat shed at CMS bus stop in Lagos. The boat was an enclosed one described as a modern boat different from the popular canoes piloted manually. The boat with a capacity of more than 20 seats has inside life jackets left on each seat, for passengers to wear as soon as they are boarding.
So not long after all the passengers boarded with their life jackets worn, the trip started on a coast of Lagos showing a scenic view of popular towers and gigantic buildings on Lagos Island especially in Marina. Also visible was the popular Eko Atlantic Resort, among others.
However, getting to Takwa Bay, what struck the mind of a first time visitor was a community which is still far from modern civilization.
Under the auspices of the Community Tour and Sensitization (CTS) and the Femi Adabale Consulting Limited (FmACL) which took some select journalists on a tour of Takwa Bay, the tour provided an insight into the challenges faced by hundreds of inhabitants on the island, and the incredible tourism potentials just waiting to be unlocked.
Though a small island in Lagos by estimation, it is like a microcosm of Nigeria with people of different tribes and nationalities settling permanently there. It however appears that Takwa Bay has become a forgotten island struggling to keep pace with civilization with little or no government presence.
While the present population of the community could not be ascertained, it comprises six districts making up the entire Takwa Bay. The districts/ communities are Takwa Bay Central, Okunayo, Abagbo, Ebute-Oko, Store and Ogogoro under Iru- Victoria Island Local Council Development Area (LCDA) and Eti-Osa Local Government.
The tour of the community was the outcome of a baseline survey by the CTS which made useful findings on how to deal with the prevalent problems in Takwa Bay and galvanize community based engagement towards solving the challenges of the community.
The community is an entirely sandy area by virtue of its nearness to the Atlantic ocean, and it was right inside the sand that the visitors navigated the length and breadth of the community which is rich in tourism endowments.
The first place visited by the team was the Primary Health Centre built by the Lagos state government under the 2008 conditional Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) grant scheme project. Though a fine facility with enough bed spaces, the human resources to work in the hospital are not available, while the patronage is nothing to write home about.
It was gathered that the only health centre serving the whole community does not have a stable doctor as the doctor posted to the hospital is said to ‘be on and off’, because there are no “incentives” for him to stay. It was gathered that there are three nurses in the hospital though only one, Nurse Jagua Folashade was present. The facilities are just there with no patient to visit, as the centre is lacking equipment for any serious medical diagnosis.
Also there is no light, and no water while there is no generating set to provide light for the hospital. All these challenges, according to the community, have drastically reduced the level of patronage of the facilities.
James Adesina, Secretary of the Council of Obas in Takwa Bay said, “So far I can say the government is trying but they need to do more. We have three nurses and a doctor. Initially it was accommodation that was their problem and we were able to get them a place to stay. We want the government to come over. The hospital has no generator, no water, and no adequate medical facilities they can make use of.”
Takwa Bay’s historic sites
Proceeding from the health centre was a tour of historic sites in Takwa Bay. For visitors to Takwa Bay, the beach remains a striking attraction. But beyond that, the community is one tourism haven that is yet to be unlocked. This is because the former Governor-General of Nigeria, Lord Lugard used to have a house in the community ditto the Queen Elizabeth of England who once stayed at the Bay when she visited Nigeria in 1956.
Other attractions in the community were two hotels occupied by tourists and other visitors to the community. But shockingly the building said to be occupied by Lord Lugard has been pulled down long time ago. What could be observed around the area was a rusty well, where the late Governor-General reportedly drank from.
Also visible around were the remains of the demolished structure already overgrown by weed. The demolished building is inside the premises of the light house, a tall building with a light signal on top which is like a radar used in monitoring ships coming into Nigeria. The light house was built by the naval authority, and it is said that once a ship coming to Nigeria sees the light, it signals to it that the ship is on Lagos anchorage.
The light house inside the Lugard’s house premises is no longer in use as another modern light house has been erected around the area. Talking about the light house, a member of the community said, “It is to guide the ship to dock safely.”
Away from Lugard’s house is the European quarters located about 100 meters from the beach. These are areas occupied by multinational companies which have chalets all around. These include several companies like Shell, Chevron, Leventis, Sahara Energy, among others.
Around the European quarters also was the underground house which was said to have been occupied by Queen Elizabeth. The house built like a big tomb has an underground room and parlour where the Queen lived for days when she came to Nigeria. However, the building has now become dingy and it is currently being used as a pond, according to our findings. Also there is a damaged rail track inside the community which links the Atlantic Ocean.
Most of the chalets occupied by workers of multinational companies have equally become deserted and the beach appears to be the only attraction available to visitors to the community. The consequence of the neglect of the tourism attractions in Takwa Bay is now evident in the underdevelopment of the community,