Banana Island
Encyclopedia
Banana Island is an artificial island in Lagos State
, Nigeria
. It is located in the Lagos Lagoon
and attached to the North-Eastern Ikoyi
Island by a dedicated road strip which is linked to the existing road network. 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. Chief Adebayo Adeleke had originally commissioned a new urban development in Maroko, Victoria Island, but that project had been 'acquired' by the Lagos State government with no financial consideration paid. 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. Chief Adeleke was an exceptional Nigerian visionary and philanthropist, unconcerned with the usual wealth acquisition of many of his contemporaries. He wanted to create a development that would "Make Nigeria Proud", and engaged Minoru Yamasaki
the architect of Manhattan's Twin Towers, to design replica twin towers as the flagship iconic buildings 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. 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, which has resolutely failed to achieve any international iconic architectural acclaim.
However, Banana Island has the highest rent rate and sales proposal amount in Nigeria. Mike Adenuga and Iyabo Obasanjo are two examples of some of the most prominent members of Nigerian high society who call Banana Island home. It was constructed by HiTech, the construction arm of the Chagoury Group and is a joint venture with the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Works and Housing.
The banana
-shaped Island is approximately 1,630,000 square metres in size (less than a square mile) and is divided into 536 plots (of between 1000 and 4000 square metres in size) mainly arranged along cul-de-sac
s, so designed to enhance the historically residential nature of Ikoyi. Residents are provided 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.
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.
Banana Island is also the location of the headquarters of Etisalat Telecoms company and Telemedical giant Rich and Poor Enterprises Medical owned by Dr Ade O. Adewuya.
Lagos State
Lagos State is an administrative division of Nigeria, located in the southwestern part of the country. The smallest in area of Nigeria's states, Lagos State is the most populous state in Nigeria and arguably the most economically important state of the country and west Africa, containing Lagos, the...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. It is located in the Lagos Lagoon
Lagos Lagoon
Lagos Lagoon is a lagoon sharing its name with the city of Lagos, Nigeria, the second largest city in Africa, which lies on its south-western side...
and attached to the North-Eastern Ikoyi
Ikoyi
Ikoyi is the most affluent neighborhood of Lagos, Nigeria, located on Lagos Island. It lies to the northeast of Obalende and encompasses the eastern half of Lagos Island and lies at the edge of the Lagos Lagoon...
Island by a dedicated road strip which is linked to the existing road network. 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. Chief Adebayo Adeleke had originally commissioned a new urban development in Maroko, Victoria Island, but that project had been 'acquired' by the Lagos State government with no financial consideration paid. 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. Chief Adeleke was an exceptional Nigerian visionary and philanthropist, unconcerned with the usual wealth acquisition of many of his contemporaries. He wanted to create a development that would "Make Nigeria Proud", and engaged Minoru Yamasaki
Minoru Yamasaki
was a Japanese-American architect, best known for his design of the twin towers of the World Trade Center, buildings 1 and 2. Yamasaki was one of the most prominent architects of the 20th century...
the architect of Manhattan's Twin Towers, to design replica twin towers as the flagship iconic buildings 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
London City Airport
London City Airport is a single-runway airport. It principally serves the financial district of London and is located on a former Docklands site, east of the City of London, opposite the London Regatta Centre, in the London Borough of Newham in east London. It was developed by the engineering...
, Dubai's Palm Islands
Palm Islands
The Palm Islands are an artificial archipelago in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on which major commercial and residential infrastructures will be constructed...
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. The 'acquisition' is currently being challenged in various courts, and there are Caveat Emptor
Caveat emptor
Caveat emptor is Latin for "Let the buyer beware". Generally, caveat emptor is the property law doctrine that controls the sale of real property after the date of closing.- Explanation :...
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, which has resolutely failed to achieve any international iconic architectural acclaim.
However, Banana Island has the highest rent rate and sales proposal amount in Nigeria. Mike Adenuga and Iyabo Obasanjo are two examples of some of the most prominent members of Nigerian high society who call Banana Island home. It was constructed by HiTech, the construction arm of the Chagoury Group and is a joint venture with the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Works and Housing.
The banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
-shaped Island is approximately 1,630,000 square metres in size (less than a square mile) and is divided into 536 plots (of between 1000 and 4000 square metres in size) mainly arranged along cul-de-sac
Cul-de-sac
A cul-de-sac is a word of French origin referring to a dead end, close, no through road or court meaning dead-end street with only one inlet/outlet...
s, so designed to enhance the historically residential nature of Ikoyi. Residents are provided 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.
The developers also intend to develop a main piazza
Piazza
A piazza is a city square in Italy, Malta, along the Dalmatian coast and in surrounding regions. The term is roughly equivalent to the Spanish plaza...
, a club-house, a primary and secondary school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
, a fire and police station and a medical clinic. They are also negotiating to build a 5-star
Star (classification)
Stars are often used as symbols for classification purposes. They are used by reviewers for ranking things such as movies, TV shows, restaurants, and hotels. For example, one to five stars is commonly employed to categorize hotels.-Restaurant ratings:...
hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
on the island, along with an array of smaller Guest Houses.
Banana Island is also the location of the headquarters of Etisalat Telecoms company and Telemedical giant Rich and Poor Enterprises Medical owned by Dr Ade O. Adewuya.