Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, has expressed excitement following the Federal Government’s unveiling of a new strategic framework that prioritises the completion of the Bakassi Deep Seaport.

The roadmap, encapsulated in the newly launched National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy, identifies Bakassi among nine key deep seaports marked for accelerated development across Nigeria.

Speaking at the official presentation of the policy in Lagos, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Gboyega Oyetola, described the initiative as a transformative step towards positioning Nigeria as the leading maritime hub in West and Central Africa.

“This policy signals a new dawn for the sector. Our objective is clear: to catalyse sustainable development by accelerating the completion of critical deep seaports that will drive economic transformation,” he remarked.

Otu welcomed the development as timely and visionary, describing the Bakassi Deep Seaport as the crown jewel of his administration’s economic blueprint.

“This project is not only central to the industrial future of Cross River, but it is also a national asset capable of unlocking regional prosperity and redefining Nigeria’s place in global maritime trade,” the governor affirmed. He lauded the Federal Government’s commitment and foresight in aligning national infrastructure goals with the needs of coastal states.

The governor lamented that Nigeria’s shipping activities are currently shortchanged, as only 21 per cent account for cargoes coming into the country, with 79 per cent going to countries such as Benin, Togo and Ghana.