The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has said the proposed Bakassi Deep Sea Port will strengthen Nigeria’s position as a major maritime gateway in West Africa and the African continent.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NPA, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, disclosed this on Friday at the Presidential Groundbreaking Ceremony for the project.
Dantsoho said the deep sea port is being developed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, with financial backing of $3.5 billion from the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).
According to him, the port is designed to accommodate Ultra Large Container Vessels, a development expected to reduce the need for frequent maintenance dredging and improve Nigeria’s competitiveness in international shipping.
He explained that the project would be complemented by a 275-kilometre, six-lane Calabar-Ogoja-Gakem Superhighway, which will connect the port to Nigeria’s North-Central and North-Eastern regions.
The highway is also expected to provide an efficient and cost-effective transshipment corridor for landlocked countries, including Chad, Niger Republic, Mali and Burkina Faso.
The NPA chief noted that the project would promote regional trade, enhance connectivity, attract investment into the blue economy and position Nigerian ports among Africa’s leading maritime facilities.
He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his administration’s efforts towards modernising the nation’s port infrastructure.
Dantsoho also reaffirmed the NPA’s commitment to ensuring that the project meets required safety, environmental and international best-practice standards.