•As Mota Engil Africa emerges preferred bidder
Edo State government has announced it is set to commence the Benin Port Project after 75 years. Chairman of the Benin Port Project, Dr. Greg Ogbeifun, made this known at the weekend, confirming that the preferred bidder, Mota Engil Africa, emerged after a one-week evaluation exercise conducted on bids received in response to the Request For Proposals (RFP) from three pre-qualified bidders, China Harbour Engineering Company (China), Mota-Engil Africa (Portugal), and Yilport Holding Inc (Turkey).
According to Ogbeifun, Engil Africa, which is also handling the Kano-Maradi rail project of the Federal Government, recently took delivery of $200 million worth of equipment, showcasing capacity to deliver on big-ticket projects.
The project chairman explained that efforts to construct the port had persisted unsuccessfully for over 75 years after it was first proposed, as regulatory, funding and institutional setbacks halted moves to embark on the project.
He said that Governor Godwin Obaseki had promised to build the port during his campaigns in 2016, and has since pursued actualisation of the project, navigating extremely complex regulatory and institutional challenges.
Ogbeifun stated that the governor had, in his New Year address in 2017, announced the set-up of a seven-man committee, chaired by Greg Ero, to lead development of the port project. The committee was eventually succeeded by the Dr. Ogbeifun-led Benin Port project team, which is currently handling the project.
Responding to the development, Obaseki said it was delightful that the project has finally kicked off to serve as a launchpad for the expansion of Edo’s $11.8 billion economy, noting it would catalyse growth of agriculture, real estate, manufacturing, food processing, automotive, power, retail and extractive sectors.
He said: “We are now set for commencement of this landmark project, which would open a new vista of opportunities for Edo people and Nigerians, in general.”
Detailing the process leading to the emergence of the preferred bidder, the Project Director, Benin Port, Dr. Joe Aigboduwa, said: “Request For Proposal (RFP) documents had been issued to prequalified bidders on April 18, 2023. A pre-bid conference was held with the bidders on April 26, 2023, followed by visits to the project site from June 13 to June 14, 2023. Bids were eventually submitted in Abuja on the due date of Friday, June 30, 2023.”
