The Lagos State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress has described the Federal Government’s $1 billion investment in the Lagos ports as part of a nationwide modernisation blueprint aimed at transforming Nigeria into West Africa’s premier maritime hub.

In a statement on Tuesday by the party’s spokesman, Mr Seye Oladejo, the APC dismissed criticism from opposition parties, saying their claims that President Bola Tinubu has neglected ports in Warri, Calabar, Onne, and Port Harcourt were laughable and reflective of their chronic ignorance of basic economics and governance.

Oladejo emphasised that the investment is a national project, attracting foreign direct investment from China Harbour Engineering Company and Singapore’s Tolaram Group, and is designed to create jobs, boost exports, and improve efficiency.

According to him, the Tinubu administration has ongoing projects at ports across the country, including modernisation and equipment upgrades at Onne Port, dredging at Calabar Port, rehabilitation of Port Harcourt Port, and expansion of Warri Port with a new rail link integration.

Oladejo noted that the opposition’s criticism was borne out of ignorance, saying governance is driven by strategy, not sentiment, and that Tinubu and the APC remain focused on building a Nigeria that works, one port, one project, and one policy at a time.

“This reckless statement only exposes, yet again, the opposition’s chronic ignorance of basic economics and governance.

“Their loud opinions are rarely backed by facts, figures, or even a faint understanding of national policy direction. The Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda is not ‘neglecting’ any port.

“It is not a Lagos project – it is a Nigeria project, attracting foreign direct investment from China Harbour Engineering Company and Singapore’s Tolaram Group, both of whom saw in President Tinubu’s vision a business environment worth their billions.”

Oladejo said, “This reckless statement only exposes, yet again, the opposition’s chronic ignorance of basic economics and governance.

“Their loud opinions are rarely backed by facts, figures, or even a faint understanding of national policy direction. The Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda is not ‘neglecting’ any port.

“It is not a Lagos project – it is a Nigeria project, attracting foreign direct investment from China Harbour Engineering Company and Singapore’s Tolaram Group, both of whom saw in President Tinubu’s vision a business environment worth their billions.”

He said that, contrary to the criticisms, the same administration had been executing projects at One, Calabar, Port Harcourt, and Warri Ports.

According to him, Tinubu’s administration is executing the modernisation of Onne Port, including equipment upgrades and digitalisation, while also dredging the Calabar Port to increase draft depth and accommodate larger vessels.

He said that work on the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Port complex, under a new concessionary framework, and the Warri Port corridor expansion, with new rail link integration to ease inland cargo movement, were ongoing.

“But of course, the opposition wouldn’t know this – they’re too busy tweeting ignorance and recycling talking points from the political dustbin,” he said.

According to him, the $1 billion Lagos Port investment is not “sabotage,” it is economic foresight.

“It is about creating jobs, boosting exports, and ending decades of inefficiency that have made Nigerian ports some of the most expensive in Africa.

“The Lekki Deep Sea Port, Nigeria’s first fully automated port, is already redefining port management, increasing turnaround time, and boosting revenue to government coffers.