NPA, ICRC Eye

NPA, ICRC Eye More Deep Sea Port in Other States

ZAINAB JUNAID 

Having successfully completed and commissioned Lekki deep seaport, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) have started receiving more requests for the establishment of similar projects in other states. 

The Managing Director of the Authority, Mohammed Bello-Koko, disclosed this on the official Twitter handle of NPA. 

Koko said the authority and ICRC have been inundated with applications from prospective investors to build deep seaports in the country.

“Through PPP, additional deep-sea ports will come on board in the next few years. Several requests are being worked on by the Authority and @ICRCng.

“The outlook is positive and promising.

“Having the deepest port in Nigeria will improve traffic flow in the Apapa corridor, lower freight costs & ultimately lower trading costs.

For us @NigerianPorts, we intend to take advantage of this to recapture transshipment & transit cargoes that would typically call at nearby ports” Bello-Koko declared in the tweet.

While Still celebrating the successful completion and take off of the first mega seaport in the country, the NPA boss said the Lekki deep seaport, which was commissioned by President Mohammed Buhari Monday, January 23rd, 2023, was a major success story for public-private partnership on infrastructural development under the regulatory guidance of the ICRC.

“$361bn economic impact expected in 45 years from the Lekki deep seaport  is put at $1.5 billion assets and  $800m on construction on all Phases while $361 billion (Revenue from duties, royalties, taxes $201bn, Direct/Indirect business impact: $158bn) is being projected from the facility. 

“With over 169,000 Direct/Indirect jobs are expected to be created, the federal government has five percent equity shares in the mega facility, the Lagos State government has 20 percent shares while Lekki Port Investment Holding Inc holds 75 percent equity shares.

“The port has the deepest draught in Nigeria and one of the deepest in sub-Saharan Africa with a 16.2 metre draft with annual cargo tonnage of four million tons and annual container volume of 2.5 million teu, “ he said.