Bar Beach Victoria Island Erosion Problem: A Critical Assessment as at October 30th 2002 and Need For Urgent Mitigating Measures

Abstract

The Bar Beach on Victoria Island has been the scene of very active erosion in the past since the construction of the east and west moles between 1908 and 1912. The moles were constructed to protect the dredged deep (Commodore Channel) entrance into the Lagos harbor from intense wave action and the silting up of the channel. The construction of breakwaters interrupted the long-shore transport of sand from west of the west mole to the east along the shoreline. The interference has resulted in the trapping of about 0.5 and 0.75 million cubic meters of sand per year behind the west mole leading to an accreting Lighthouse beach on the western side of the harbour entrance. However, the Bar beach on the down-drift side is starved of sediments. Studies carried out by beach erosion experts at the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research Lagos revealed the nature and dynamics of erosion at the Bar beach following several beach nourishments programmes in the past.