Banana Island, Lagos
Banana Island | |
|---|---|
Neighborhood | |
  Banana Island Location in Lagos | |
| Coordinates: 6°28′N 3°27′E / 6.467°N 3.450°ECoordinates: 6°28′N 3°27′E / 6.467°N 3.450°E | |
| Country |  Nigeria |
| State | Lagos State |
| City | Lagos |
| LGA | Eti-Osa |
| Neighbourhood | Ikoyi |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (WAT) |
Banana Island is an artificial island off the foreshore of Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria.
Architectural history[]
 | The neutrality of this section is disputed. (September 2014) |
The original Banana Island construction project entitled Lagoon City was the brainchild of the Late Chief Adebayo Adeleke, a University of London trained Civil Engineer (MICE), and CEO of City Property Development Ltd.
Adeleke had originally commissioned a new urban development in Maroko, Victoria Island, but that project had been acquired by the Lagos State government. Following a lengthy 10 year court case, Lagos State government offered other parcels of land as consideration for the Maroko development.
Many scoffed at Chief Adeleke's decision to select the Ikoyi Island perimeter, however they were unable to appreciate the foresight of the Chief, who promptly engaged the Westminster Dredging Company to dredge the foreshore, and create six interlinked and symmetrical islands.
He wanted to create a development that would "Make Nigeria Proud", and engaged Minoru Yamasaki the architect of Manhattan's World Trade Centre 'Twin Towers' building. Starchitect Yamasaki's replica twin towers comprised the flagship iconic building on the main island.
To complete the Lagoon City concept, Chief Adeleke planned an aesthetic design including a City Airport, which was a vision conceived long before the London Docklands Development, London City Airport, Dubai's Palm Islands or Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok Airport.
Unfortunately for the Chief, as soon as he had reclaimed the land and the brilliance of the idea was unveiled, others were determined to wrestle the land from him, and the project was 'acquired' again with no consideration being paid to City Property Development Limited. Since 1983, the 'acquisition' is currently being challenged in various courts, and there are Caveat Emptor warnings in place to warn prospective buyers that their investment could be at risk in future. There is also litigation pending in the UK and European courts regarding this matter.
The subsequent developers were principally interested in maximising the yield of the land at the expense of the aesthetic innovative design foreseen by Chief Adebayo Adeleke. Consequently the land was filled in to create a banana shaped island, hence Banana Island. Banana Island, is an area of Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria, 8.6 kilometres east of Tafawa Balewa Square. Part of the Lagos Local Government Area of Eti-Osa in Central Lagos.
Design[]
Banana Island is a man-made island in Lagos State, Nigeria that is slightly curved in shape – like a banana. It is located in the Lagos Lagoon and is connected to Ikoyi Island by a dedicated road which is linked to the existing road network near Parkview Estate. The island was constructed by the Lebanese-Nigerian Chagoury Group in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing [1][2] and is considered to be on par with the Seventh Arrondissement in Paris, La Jolla in San Diego, and Tokyo's Shibuya and Roppongi neighbourhoods.[3]
It occupies a sand-filled area of approximately 1,630,000 square metres and is divided into 536 plots (of between 1000 and 4000 square metres in size) mainly arranged along cul-de-sacs, so designed to enhance the historically residential nature of Ikoyi. Residents are provided with world class utilities including underground electrical systems (versus the overhead cabling common throughout Lagos), an underground water supply network, a central sewage system and treatment plant, and street lighting and satellite telecommunications networks.[4]
The Island is a planned, mixed development with dedicated areas for residential, commercial and recreational activities. On the residential side of the Island, planning permission is not granted for dwellings over 3 storeys high. The developers also intend to develop a main piazza, a club-house, a primary and secondary school, a fire and police station and a medical clinic. They are also negotiating to build a 5-star hotel on the island, along with an array of smaller Guest Houses.
Composition[]
Banana Island hosts several high end residential developments such as Ocean Parade Towers [5] - a series of 14 luxury tower blocks strategically situated at one end of the island to take advantage of 180 degree panoramic views overlooking the lagoon. Similar to many of the developments on the island, it has dedicated leisure facilities such as a private health club - with tennis courts, squash courts and a swimming pool surrounded by extensive gardens.[6] At launch flats in Ocean Parade sold for over US$400,000.[7]
Several leading Nigerian and International corporates such as - Etisalat Nigeria,[8] Airtel Nigeria,[9] Ford Foundation Nigeria[10] and Olaniwun Ajayi & Co[11] - are also based on Banana Island.
Notable residents[]
- Mike Adenuga - Billionaire businessman[12]
- Aliko Dangote - Billionaire businessman[12]
- Davido - Afrobeats artist
- Linda Ikeji[12]
- Iyabo Obasanjo - native[12]
References[]
- ^ "The Chagoury Group Construction Division - Projects". Chagouryconstruction.com. Archived from the original on 14 December 2007. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
- ^ "Home | Thisday Live". Thisdayonline.com. Retrieved 21 June 2015.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "The Most Expensive Neighborhood In Nigeria". Forbes. 5 April 2011. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
- ^ [1] Archived 14 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Ocean Parade". Chagourygroup.com. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
- ^ "Ocean Parade Tower – Banana Island – Ikoyi Lagos - I.T.B. Nigeria Limited". Itbng.com. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
- ^ "Buyers jostle for N4.5b Ocean Parade Towers flats - Proshare". Proshareng.com. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
- ^ [2] Archived 9 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Airtel Nigeria || Home". Airtel.com. Archived from the original on 22 March 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
- ^ "West Africa / Regions / Ford Foundation". Fordfoundation.org. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
- ^ "Olaniwun Ajayi LP". Olaniwunajayi.net. 13 May 2014. Archived from the original on 22 March 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Biobaku, Samod (11 November 2016). "Who Lives on Banana Island?". Private Property Nigeria. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
- Upper class
- Islands of Nigeria
- Artificial islands of Lagos
- Islands of Yorubaland
- Mixed-use developments in Lagos
- Millionaires of African descent