Lagos plans Oko-Baba sawmill operators relocation, begins beneficiaries’ verification

The Lagos State Government has made good its promise to relocate Oko-Baba sawmill operators to Timberville and has commenced verification exercise for stakeholders and prospective beneficiaries of the purpose-built facility.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Lagos State Office for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Mukaila Sanusi.

The  Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr.  Idris Salako, while speaking at the inauguration of the verification exercise, stated that the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was working to relocate the millers to the new facility.

Salako explained that the verification exercise was to update the list of stakeholders and ascertain their levels of readiness for the planned relocation.

The Commissioner stated that to facilitate the relocation, the government had set up the requisite basic amenities and the enabling working environment with functional accessibility to the new location as well as adequate power supply and security in and around the Timberville operational area.

The Lagos State Government, he said, had decided to relocate the saw millers to protect the environment and consequently create a more productive environment for the business activity.

According to him,  “It is incontrovertible that we have since come to terms with the fact that the present location of your sawmill in the waterfront of Ebute-Metta, popularly called Okobaba is no longer sustainable for the business, given the huge environmental cost which is unimaginable and unpardonable at this time and age.

The commissioner listed some of the environmental impacts to include water and air pollution, carbon emission, destruction of aquatic resources and creation of blight among others.

He also stated that the goal of the state government was to leverage the status of Oko-Baba Sawmill as the largest in the country and ultimately turn the Timberville, Agbowa to a major agriculture processing zone and a hub of value addition for timber and construction industry within the  Ikorodu-Epe sub-region of the state, while leveraging public private collaboration.

Commenting on the strategic plan for the relocation, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Abiola Kosegbe, highlighted that the government had devised a phased implementation plan for the movement of Okobaba Operation to Timberville, part of which was the introduction of the strategic documentation of the saw millers.

Kosegbe, hinted that the documentation was aimed at achieving seamless movement from Okobaba to Timberville through a model that would provide an opportunity for the larger movers saw millers to be selected in the first instance for immediate allocation of space,  including band saw sheds, sales offices and ancillary sheds for displaying of finished wood products.

On his part, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Urban Development, Ganiyu Ayuba, Olajide Babatunde, urged the saw millers to cooperate with the government throughout the phases of the relocation, particularly the ongoing verification exercise.