President Bola Tinubu has assured global investors of the Federal Government’s commitment to policy stability, regulatory certainty and seamless implementation of major investments, as Ogun State and global ports operator, DP World, signed agreements for the development of a deep seaport and a major blue economy industrial zone.

The agreements, signed in Paris, France, are expected to unlock an initial investment of more than $7 billion in Nigeria and establish the Gateway Deep Seaport and Ogun State Blue Marine Special Economic Zone as major components of a new maritime, industrial and trade corridor.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, President Tinubu said the Federal Government would provide the regulatory and institutional support required to move the projects from agreements to implementation, while ensuring that all parties deliver on their commitments.

The President described the deal as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s drive to attract foreign direct investment, expand productive capacity, create jobs and strengthen the country’s position as a regional hub for maritime trade, manufacturing, logistics and exports.

“The agreements before us bring together vision, expertise, capital and execution capacity. I particularly welcome DP World, one of the world’s leading port and logistics operators,” Tinubu said.

He commended Governor Dapo Abiodun and the Ogun State Government for securing the land and developing the investment framework for the projects, describing the initiative as an example of cooperative federalism.

“This is economic diversification made tangible. This is industrialisation made visible. This is Renewed Hope in action,” the President said.

Under the agreements, DP World is expected to play a major role in the development of the Gateway Deep Seaport, while the Ogun State Blue Marine Special Economic Zone is planned across approximately 10,000 hectares.

The proposed deep seaport at Ogun Waterside will have a four-kilometre berth and an 18-metre draft, enabling it to handle larger vessels and provide an alternative gateway for cargo moving through the Lagos port corridor.

Tinubu said the project would help address longstanding challenges associated with congestion, inadequate draft capacity and logistics bottlenecks around existing ports, while reducing the cost and time involved in moving goods.

He said the port would also strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area by providing a modern gateway to a continental market of about 1.4 billion people.

According to the President, the proposed special economic zone is already attracting interest from major global manufacturing and industrial companies.

He said the zone would provide a platform for imported inputs to be transformed into finished products, while Nigerian raw materials would be processed for export, creating opportunities for young Nigerians across manufacturing, logistics and related value chains.

“The Gateway Deep Seaport is the critical infrastructure that will support the zone’s viability. A port moves cargo; a port integrated with a special economic zone helps to build an economy. Each reinforces the other,” Tinubu said.

The President said the combined projects were projected to create more than 50,000 direct jobs, alongside substantial indirect employment and increased non-oil export earnings.

He directed relevant federal institutions to facilitate road, rail and power connectivity to the emerging industrial and maritime corridor, while strengthening investment security and removing unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles.

“We will facilitate road, rail and power connectivity; strengthen investment security and our maritime domain; and remove unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles,” he said.

Tinubu also linked the projects to the Federal Government’s broader investment in infrastructure along the Lagos-Ogun coastal corridor, particularly the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

He said the 28-kilometre Ogun section of the 700-kilometre highway, scheduled for completion before the end of the year, would provide a critical transport connection between the port, the special economic zone, Lagos and the Nigerian hinterland.

According to him, the emerging industrial cluster would also connect strategically with the proposed Nigerian Navy Operating Base and Dockyard as well as the OK LNG Project, strengthening the link between maritime infrastructure, manufacturing and Nigeria’s energy and gas-export ambitions.

“Nigeria lies at the heart of West African trade. Yet, our strategic advantage has been constrained by port congestion, inadequate draft capacity and logistics bottlenecks that increase the cost of doing business. These projects respond directly to those constraints,” the President said.

He urged Ogun State and the investors to sustain the momentum generated by the agreements and move swiftly into implementation, stressing that the Federal Government would continue to support investments that create value and opportunities for Nigerians while ensuring compliance with the country’s laws and regulatory requirements.

Governor Dapo Abiodun led the Ogun State delegation to the ceremony. Members included the Secretary to the State Government, Tokunbo Talabi; Commissioners for Finance, Works, Industry, Trade and Investment, and Transport; and a representative of the host community.

Also present were the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola; Nigeria’s Ambassador to France, Emmanuel Ayodele Oke; Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho; DP World Group Chief Executive Officer, Yuvraj Narayan; Managing Director of SkyKapital, Karim Noujaim; and DP World’s Senior Vice President, Business Development, Sub-Saharan Africa, Mohammed Rashid Ismail.

Tinubu said the government’s approach was to build infrastructure as an integrated economic ecosystem capable of attracting investment, expanding production and connecting Nigerian businesses to global markets.

“This is how modern infrastructure should be delivered: as an integrated ecosystem, operated to world-class standards and supported by a serious and responsible government. This is nation-building in its most practical form,” he said.