The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, has said the Badagry Deep Seaport project in Lagos State is a strategic step towards the development of Nigeria as a global maritime hub.
He stated this when he paid a courtesy visit to the paramount ruler of Badagry Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, De-Wheno Aholu Menu Toyi 1, the Akran of Badagry.
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Jamoh said the visit was meant to honour the traditional ruler and his kingdom for allocating land to NIMASA to establish a presence in the community, before the take-off of the deep seaport project, with the foundation beginning this month.
The Badagry Deep Seaport project is being executed through a public-private partnership overseen by the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, and Lagos State Government, as well as a private consortium of APM Terminals, Orlean Invest, Oando, Terminal Investment Limited (TIL), and Macquarie.
Jamoh said: “With over 70 per cent of cargo bound for West and Central Africa destined for Nigeria, we also have a huge commercial advantage.”
He assured that he would work with the traditional ruler and the kingdom to see to the implementation of the deep seaport project.
Jamoh, who was earlier received at the palace by the Akran and his council of chiefs, was presented with the Badagry Pilgrimage Award, a special recognition accorded dignitaries for visiting the town.
Commenting on the deep seaport project, the Alipoto of Badagry Kingdom, Chief Gbenga Fayemi, said it was important for Badagry and the country, stressing that the project is suitably located since Badagry lies between the lagoon and the ocean.
The deep seaport is located in the Gberefun area of Badagry, along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, about 55 kilometres (34 miles) west of the Apapa and Tin Can Island Port complexes. The port will have about 480 hectares of Industrial and Logistic Park Zone.
