The construction phase of the Bakassi Deep Seaport project has formally been set in motion, with a groundbreaking ceremony performed by President Bola Tinubu.
President Tinubu represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, described the multibillion-dollar project as a strategic national investment expected to expand Nigeria’s maritime capacity.
The groundbreaking ceremony marks a significant milestone in a project that has been on the drawing board for more than a decade.
Conceived in 2014, the Bakassi Deep Seaport has passed through successive administrations, with preparatory work, including the development of its Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, undertaken in 2015.
Subsequent administrations advanced different stages of its regulatory and investment processes, but physical construction had yet to commence before Governor Bassey Otu assumed office in 2023.
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His administration has since pursued the financing arrangements, technical assessments, investor partnerships and federal approvals required to move the project towards construction.
At the ceremony, President Tinubu described the seaport as an important addition to Nigeria’s maritime infrastructure, with the potential to ease pressure on existing ports.
Governor Otu said the seaport, alongside the proposed road corridor, the Calabar airport and other infrastructure, would position the state to attract investors and stimulate economic activities.
Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, said the project aligns with the Federal Government’s efforts to unlock the economic potential of Nigeria’s maritime sector.
But the groundbreaking ceremony is only the beginning of the construction phase. The project’s ultimate value will be measured by its completion, its ability to attract sustained commercial activity and the extent to which its employment and investment opportunities reach the surrounding communities.
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(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
