The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday received the approval to build the Badagry Deep Seaport which was approved by the Federal Executive Council sometime in August.
A statement signed by Sanwo-Olu’s Chief Press Secretary, Gboyega Akosile, said the approval, which was given at the just concluded Lagos State Economic Summit (Ehingbeti 2022), authorises and provides the legal basis for the concession of the Badagry Deep Seaport following the issuance of the Full Business Case Certificate by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission last April.
According to the statement obtained by Africa Today News, New York, the $2.5bn project, which would be funded via a Public Private Partnership, would be built on approximately 496 hectares. It would have 2,470m quay length container terminal, 560m quay length break bulk terminal, 360m quay length OSB terminal, and minimum of 18m depth.
It was expected to generate 250,000 direct jobs, enhance government revenue and operate under a build, operate and transfer concession agreement.
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Speaking on the development, Sanwo-Olu said the Seaport would boost Lagos State’s logistics and commerce capability.
He said, ‘We are excited that Lagos is on the way to having another deep seaport on the Western side of the city. Before the end of this year, we will be commissioning the Lekki Deep Seaport on the Eastern side. What it means is that, what we have been suffering as a logistics and commerce hub of West Africa will be addressed when we increase maritime infrastructure that improves turnaround time in this sector.’
With this, Lagos is assured to remain the economic and commercial nerve centre of the entire sub-Saharan Africa.
Sanwo-Olu also signed also a Memorandum of Understanding with Siemens Energy Limited and German-owned Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit to set up an Energy Training Centre of Excellence at the Government Technical College in Ikorodu.
The training, which would be conducted in collaboration with the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board, would provide a needs-based technical and vocational education to over 16,000 young people between ages 15 and 35.
The programme was expected to produce highly skilled industry technicians with modern practice-oriented. Sanwo-Olu said a 30 per cent slot would be allocated to female candidates to enhance women participation in engineering education.