Ogun $7b Deep Seaport to create 50,000 jobs

By Olugbenga Adeoye

Over 50,000 new jobs are expected to be created by the new Deep Sea Port located in Ogun State, experts have said.

The multi-billion dollar Deep Sea Port project is about to start in Ogun State in months.

Observers describe the project as a major step towards developing a marine business that is expected to tranform the Nigerian import-export regime.

The deep sea port at is located at Ogun Waterside.

The deal for the project was signed in France between Ogun State Government and global port operator DP World.

The investment deal is valued at more than $7 billion.

The agreements, signed in Paris, France, cover the proposed Gateway Deep Sea Port and the Ogun State Blue Marine Special Economic Zone. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu witnessed the signing, alongside Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun and other government officials.

Experts said the proposed seaport features a four-kilometre berth and an 18-metre draft.

This means it will contain larger vessels. It is expected to decongest the Lagos port.

At present the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports are overwhelmed

A 10,000-hectare Blue Marine Special Economic Zone is networked with th e port which would be a new hub of manufacturing, processing and export-related businesses.

Authorities say the project will draw $7 billion in initial investment and generate.

Governor Abiodun described the agreement as an important development in Ogun State’s long-standing plan to establish a major maritime and industrial hub along its coastline. He said the project would help expand trade, attract investment and improve the state’s connection to regional and international markets.

President Tinubu also pledged federal support for infrastructure needed to make the project viable, including road, rail and power connections. The 28-kilometre Ogun section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is expected to provide an important transport link between the proposed port, Lagos and other parts of the country.

The Gateway Deep Sea Port is expected to form part of a wider economic corridor that includes the proposed industrial zone, Gateway International Airport and other planned infrastructure.

The Ogun State Government and its private-sector partners will now be expected to move from the agreement stage towards actual implementation of the project. The state has also stressed the importance of security, environmental protection and involvement of host communities as the development progresses.

If completed, the project is expected to strengthen Ogun State’s role in maritime trade while providing additional infrastructure for Nigeria’s growing import, export and manufacturing activities.