Nigeria is building a city behind a 8.5 km sea wall

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Lagos faces a dual crisis: a booming population and a coastline disappearing at a rate of 30 meters per year. To solve both, developers are reclaiming 9 square kilometers of the Atlantic Ocean to create a private, high-tech municipality designed to withstand the world's rising tides.

Eko Atlantic, officially the Nigeria International Commerce City, is a massive land reclamation project situated off the coast of Lagos. The project aims to address the severe coastal erosion at Lagos Bar Beach, which has been a persistent issue since at least 1960. Despite historical efforts to nourish the beach with material, the coastline continued to retreat. The current development seeks to create a permanent solution by reclaiming 9 km² of ground, protected by a coastal revetment colloquially known as the "Great Wall of Lagos."

The engineering behind the city is rigorous. Composed mainly of stone, this 8.4 to 8.5 km stretch of protection features a concrete accropode armour exterior. To ensure its resilience, the sea defense system underwent testing at the DHI Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark. Simulations at the DHI Institute confirmed their resilience during 1-in-120-year, 1-in-150-year, 1-in-1,000-year storms, plus 1-in-100-year ocean surges. The city is designed as a public-private partnership, with South Energyx Nigeria Ltd. leading the development and the Lagos State Government acting as a strategic partner.

While the project promises a state-of-the-art business district with an offshore banking zone and independent energy, it has faced significant local pushback. In August 2012, a massive ocean surge killed several people and flooded nearby areas. Critics and environmental experts blamed the sand-filling activities for the surge, alleging that contractors failed to implement adequate protective measures. This has sparked a contentious debate over coastal ownership and the impact of large-scale reclamation on the surrounding environment.

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