$7BN OGUN DEEP SEA PORT: ABIODUN SETS NOVEMBER FOR GROUND-BREAKING

Construction of the over $7 billion Gateway Deep Sea Port and Ogun State Blue Marine Special Economic Zone will begin in November, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has announced.

Abiodun made the disclosure while addressing All Progressives Congress stakeholders in Ijebu East and Ijebu North Local Government Areas, days after the Ogun State Government signed a major agreement with DP World MEA FZE in Paris, France, in the presence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The governor said the ground-breaking ceremony would take place in November, immediately followed by construction.

“By November, we will perform the groundbreaking and the construction will start immediately. In two and a half years, that port will almost be completed 100 per cent,” Abiodun said.

A PROJECT DECADES IN THE MAKING

Abiodun said the port project had remained largely unrealised for more than three decades despite its economic potential. He said his administration revived the project as part of efforts to attract investment and accelerate economic development in Ogun State.

“Governance is about vision and implementation,” the governor said.

He also declared that Ogun was positioned to become a major maritime destination. “Ogun State will become the marine capital of Africa, the marine hub of West Africa, meaning that the biggest ships in the world, when they are coming to Africa, will first come to Ogun Waterside,” he said.

$7BN INVESTMENT PACKAGE

The Ogun Government and DP World signed memoranda of understanding on September 24 in Paris for the development of the Gateway Deep Seaport and the Ogun State Blue Marine Special Economic Zone.

The State House said the agreements envisaged an initial investment of more than $7 billion, with the projects projected to create more than 50,000 direct jobs when fully developed.

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The proposed Blue Marine Special Economic Zone will cover about 10,000 hectares, while the deep seaport is expected to provide a major maritime gateway for trade and logistics.

President Tinubu said the Federal Government would support road, rail and power connectivity to the projects while strengthening investment security and removing unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles.

LINK TO WIDER INFRASTRUCTURE

Abiodun also cited federal infrastructure projects that he said would complement the development of Ogun East.

Among them are the rehabilitation of the Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode-Ore Road and the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

President Tinubu has described the Ogun section of the coastal highway as important to the commercial viability of the emerging industrial and maritime corridor.

The President said the 28-kilometre Ogun section of the 700-kilometre highway was scheduled for completion before the end of 2026.

The Ogun port and industrial zone are also expected to connect with the proposed Nigerian Navy Operating Base and Dockyard and the OK LNG Project.

OGUN’S MARITIME AMBITION

The governor further highlighted the natural resources around Ogun East, including the bitumen deposits extending from Ijebu East towards Ondo State..

“Ijebu East all the way to Ondo State is what we call our Bitumen Belt, the largest deposit of bitumen in Sub-Saharan Africa,” Abiodun said.

He also pointed to crude oil resources in parts of Ogun, including Odogbolu, saying his administration would continue to explore opportunities to harness the state’s natural resources.

With November now set for the ground-breaking, attention shifts from the signing of agreements to implementation of one of Ogun State’s most ambitious infrastructure projects. ValidViewNetwork reports.