President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said the proposed Gateway Deep Seaport in Ogun Waterside will help decongest the Lagos port corridor, ease pressure on Apapa and Tin Can Island ports and reduce costs and delays associated with cargo movement.
Tinubu made the remarks in Paris, France, where he witnessed the signing of Memoranda of Understanding between the Ogun State Government and DP World for the development of the Gateway Deep Seaport and the Ogun State Blue Marine Special Economic Zone.
The proposed deep seaport is designed with a four-kilometre berth and an 18-metre draft, which the Presidency said would allow it to accommodate larger and deeper-draft vessels used in modern international trade.
According to Tinubu, the development is intended to address some of the longstanding congestion and logistics challenges affecting Nigeria's maritime sector, particularly around the Lagos port corridor.
The President said the port would reduce pressure on the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports while helping to lower transportation and logistics costs for importers, exporters and consumers.
The Gateway Deep Seaport is part of a broader investment framework involving the proposed 10,000-hectare Ogun State Blue Marine Special Economic Zone.
The agreements are expected to attract more than $7 billion in initial investment, while the projects are projected to create more than 50,000 direct jobs, alongside additional indirect employment opportunities.
Tinubu said integrating the seaport with the special economic zone would go beyond cargo handling by supporting manufacturing, processing and export activities.
He said Nigerian raw materials could be processed for export within the zone, while imported inputs could be transformed into finished products, strengthening the country's productive and non-oil export capacity.
The President also linked the project to Nigeria's position within the African Continental Free Trade Area, saying the port could provide a competitive logistics gateway to a continental market of about 1.4 billion people.
He said the proposed infrastructure would form part of a wider corridor connecting the Ogun industrial zone with Lagos, the Nigerian hinterland and other African markets.
Tinubu identified the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as an important component of the corridor, noting that the 28-kilometre section in Ogun would provide a transport link to the proposed port and industrial zone.
He also said the Federal Government would support road, rail and power connectivity, strengthen maritime and investment security and work to remove bureaucratic obstacles that could delay implementation.
The President assured investors of regulatory clarity and policy stability, while stressing that all parties involved in the agreements would be held accountable for their commitments.
Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun described the agreement with DP World as a major step in the state's long-standing ambition to develop a deep seaport and strengthen its position as a logistics and industrial hub.
The project, if implemented as planned, is expected to link the seaport with other infrastructure and investments in the state, including the Gateway International Airport, dry ports, the coastal highway and the proposed Blue Marine Special Economic Zone.
The signing marks a new phase in efforts to develop the Gateway Deep Seaport, with the next challenge being the transition from the signed investment agreements to actual construction, infrastructure delivery and commercial operations.
Comments
Post a Comment