The Lagos State Government has recently announced its intention to demolish a specific area of the popular Landmark Beach Resort to facilitate the construction of the coastal highway for the Lagos-Calabar road project. This decision was communicated to Paul Onwuanibe, the owner of the resort, in a letter dated March 19, 2024.

The letter, signed by Tpl Shomolu O., the Deputy Director of the Development Matters Department, on behalf of the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, informed Onwuanibe that he must vacate his multimillion-dollar beach resort within a period of seven days, as it will be demolished to make room for the highway construction.

Onwuanibe, 58, explained that the government said his Landmark Beach resort – a top-tier destination visited by about a million local and foreign visitors last year – had to be removed as it “falls within the right of way” of a planned 700-kilometer (435-mile) coastal highway designed to link the former capital city to Calabar, a port city near the border with Cameroon. 

Onwuanibe told CNN he had obtained the land in 2007 before the plans for the coastal highway were drawn up, and felt a mix of emotions after receiving the demolition order, which also urged him to file compensation claims. 

“One was amazement, second was concern and the third one was, ‘is this real or is this an April Fools’ (Day prank in) advance?’” Onwuanibe said.

The beach resort which is valued at over $200 million, according to Onwuanibe, is home to over 80 businesses and provides more than 4,000 direct jobs. It also generates over 2 billion naira ($1.5 million) in annual tax revenue. 

Recall that the Lagos state government had written the company in two different national newspaper on the demolition.

See a copy of the letter below.