The Federal Government has approved the comprehensive modernisation and upgrade of four major ports in the South-South — Onne and Rivers ports in Rivers State, Delta Port in Warri and Calabar Port in Cross River State.
The approval was announced by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Bolaji Akinola, in Lagos.
The latest approval comes on the heels of the Federal Government’s earlier approval for the modernisation of Apapa and Tin Can Island ports in Lagos, in what the ministry described as part of efforts to build a more balanced and competitive national port system.
According to Oyetola, the four ports have strategic roles in Nigeria’s trade, industrial and regional development, and the government is determined to equip them to meet the demands of a growing economy.
The modernisation programme is expected to improve cargo-handling capacity, reduce vessel turnaround time, enhance regional connectivity and make the movement of goods more predictable and cost-effective.
The Nigerian Ports Authority had earlier disclosed that the Federal Government planned to invest about $1.1 billion in rehabilitating six existing ports — Apapa, Tin Can Island, Rivers, Delta, Calabar and Onne. The proposed works include reconstruction of quay walls, rehabilitation of breakwaters and jetties, and other critical infrastructure upgrades.
For the eastern ports, the programme includes the reconstruction of a 200-metre quay wall at Onne, rehabilitation of the 8.6-kilometre Escravos breakwater at Warri, reconstruction of quay structures at Warri Old Port, as well as rehabilitation and reconstruction works at Calabar’s dockyard and jetties.
The Federal Government’s strategy extends beyond rehabilitating existing facilities. It has also approved the development of a number of proposed deep-sea ports across the country.
They include the Ibom Deep Seaport in Akwa Ibom, Bakassi Deep Seaport in Cross River, Agge Deep Seaport in Bayelsa, Gateway Deep Seaport in Ogun, Ondo Deep Seaport in Ondo and Bonny Deep Seaport in Rivers State.
Oyetola said the combination of upgrading existing ports and facilitating new deep-sea ports was designed to expand Nigeria’s maritime capacity, attract investment and create stronger economic corridors across the country.
He said the Federal Government’s ambition was to develop an integrated maritime and logistics network in which ports would work more efficiently with roads, railways, inland waterways and other transport infrastructure.
The minister added that the government would continue working with state governments, terminal operators, investors, shipping companies and other stakeholders to ensure that the projects translate into improved port efficiency, lower logistics costs and increased economic activity.
The four ports — Onne, Rivers, Delta and Calabar — are officially classified among Nigeria’s Eastern Ports, alongside the Lagos port complexes on the national port network.
The latest approvals come amid calls from maritime stakeholders for greater investment in the Eastern Ports to address the longstanding imbalance in cargo and vessel traffic between Lagos and ports in the South-South.