The Chief Executive Officer, Landmark Group, Paul Onwuanibe states the effect of beach dredging. It state that the beach dredge will have a negative impact on the economy as it will leads to closure of beaches .
Stating further, he said that the beach dredging will lead to loss of jobs by the workers in the beach which will increase the state of unemployment in the country.
According to Onwuanibe, beach dredging is not merely an environmental concern, but it also has economic repercussions that could reverberate across various sectors and impact negatively on revenue generation, and employment.
Beach dredging will affect the tourism of the country as beaches are part of the main tourist area of the country. Beach is part of the main relaxation area for tourist. Reduction in tourism will reduce the revenue generation of the country.
According to Onwuanibe, the closure of these beaches, popular for their scenic beauty and recreational activities, will likely deter potential tourists
“Businesses operating along these shorelines, such as beach resorts, restaurants, and recreational facilities, will face operational challenges, potentially leading to downsizing and layoffs. This, in turn, will have a cascading effect on the livelihoods of the many individuals employed in these establishments.”
Onwuanibe also stated that when comparing to countries like Ghana actively promoting tourism, Nigeria might emerge as a less attractive destination.”
He added, “Tourists in search of coastal experiences could potentially shift their preferences, resulting in a noticeable redirection of tourism revenue away from Nigeria.”
Similarly, the General Manager of Santa Cruz Beach, Chima Anaba, said the dredging activities going on at Eko Atlantic, for instance, had caused some serious damage to the entire coastline on the Lekki corridor.
He said, “Some months ago during the rainy season, we lost some of the coconut trees and other structures that beautified our beach environment as a result of the dredging on the coastline. We need wave breakers as it is now along the coastline to forestall more havoc on the beach when the rain comes again.”