Citylink Marine Limited, water-transportation firm, has disclosed its intention to increase its fleet of operational ferries to 100 in 2009 from the current 25.

Citylink Chairman, Ahaji Tunde Yusuf stated that the firm will continue to be aggressive in boat building to ensure that it attains its target of 100 boats before the end of 2009.
He explained that the aim of the firm is not only to improve water transportation in the country, especially Lagos, but also to create wealth locally. He said that informed the reason the boats have been contracted out to local firms to build.

CityLink Marine Transport Services was inaugurated last Friday by the Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, in an event that saw the governor taking a boat ride from the Civic Centre, Victoria Island to a jetty in Badore, a town along the Lagos –Epe expressway.
The governor said that the country is blessed with many untapped potential in the marine transportation and related services. He noted that in some countries, their economies thrived entirely on acquatic life and wondered why Nigeria could not achieve same given the mass of water it has.

He said that the decision to partner Citylink, a private firm was coincidental and dated back to the days he was campaigning for the governorship. He said he had promised to build jetties and was looking for firms that would operate marine transportation, he added that when Citylink Marine eventually arrived, he was pleased, their idea fitted perfectly into his plans for Lagos.

CityLink Marine Limited is a member of the CityLink group and was incorporated in 2007 as a water ferry company primarily dedicated to Lagos State marine transportation. In order to launch the company’s services, CityLink Marine Limited is seeking to raise N 2.7 billion via a private placement sale of 49. per cent of its shareholders’ equity in CityLink Marine.