NPA renews synergy with Ogun on Olokola deep seaport project

Towards improving the transportation sector, the Ogun State government has commenced arrangements to resuscitate the abandoned Olokola Seaport project in the East Senatorial District of the state.

The state’s Deputy Governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, disclosed this yesterday while playing host to the Acting Chief Executive Officer of Fujairah Terminals, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Abdulaziz Al Balooshi, in Abeokuta, the state capital.

Salako-Oyedele said that she had earlier led government delegation on an official visit to the Managing Director of Nigerian Port Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman, at the Port’s Headquarters, Marina, Lagos, to seek advice and ensure synergy between Ogun State government and NPA before taking further steps.

She added that a meeting was also held with the officials of the Consulate-General, UAE Affairs in Lagos, on how to invest in Ogun State, which informed the visit of Fuja CEO, the head of strategy and others from the UAE to the state for an aerial survey of Apapa, TinCan Island and Olokola to have an idea of the project.

Usman commended the state government for the move, intimating that Ondo State government had brought similar proposal and encouraged collaboration between the two states to achieve overall success of the venture.

Earlier in his remark, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Tokunbo Talabi, said a project of such nature might be local but the impact is national, hence the need to let intending investors know the dimensions of the project, noting that a local economy would facilitate national development.

Balooshi, in his remark, said the visit to Ogun State was to assess the condition of the project, as well as identify where to come in and partner with the state government.

The scheme, which is part of NPA’s 25-year new port development master plan, is expected to relieve existing ports in Lagos of pressure on infrastructure and traffic crisis as more cargoes would be diverted to the new port on delivery in the Ogun State waterfront.