- Jamoh
Planned to be Africa’s biggest and most advanced seaport, the Badagry Deep Seaport project in Lagos State is a strategy to develop Nigeria as a global maritime hub, the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Bashir Jamoh, has said.
Jamoh, during a courtesy visit to the Akran of Badagry, His Royal Majesty, De-Wheno Aholu Menu Toyi 1, said the visit was meant to honour the traditional ruler and his kingdom for allocating land to NIMASA to establish presence in the community as Nigeria’s maritime regulatory authority, before the take-off of the deep seaport project.
“Nigeria is strategically located at a significant point in the Atlantic Ocean, with about 853 kilometres coastline, which gives us a geographic advantage to become a maritime hub for not only the West and Central African region, but also the entire maritime trading world,” he said.
“And with over 70 per cent of cargo bound for West and Central Africa destined for Nigeria, we also have a huge commercial advantage.
“The Badagry Deep Seaport, planned to be Africa’s biggest and most advanced seaport when it becomes operational, will help to maximise this extraordinary maritime potential. This is more so given the strategic place of Badagry in the region.”
Jamoh thanked the Akran and promised that the land would be judiciously utilised, and that he would work with the traditional ruler and the kingdom to see to the implementation of the deep seaport project.
He had earlier been presented with the Badagry Pilgrimage Award, a special recognition accorded dignitaries who visit the town.
On his part, the Alipoto of Badagry, Gbenga Fayemi, said the deep seaport project was important for community and the country, as it was suitably located between the lagoon and the ocean.
The seaport project is being executed through a public-private partnership overseen by the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Federal Ministry of Trade and Investments, the Lagos State Government, and a private consortium of APM Terminals, Orlean Invest, Oando, Terminal Investment Limited (TIL) and Macquarie.
It is located in the Gberefun area of Badagry, along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway at about 55 kilometres (34 miles) west of the Apapa and Tin Can Island Port complexes.
The port is proposed to have about four-kilometre quay and approximately 620 hectares of dedicated port facilities, including facilities for handling containers, dry bulk, liquid bulk, roll-on roll-off and general cargo, as well as oil and gas operations support.
The port will have about 480 hectares of Industrial and Logistic Park Zone.
