Minister of Transportation Mu’azu Sambo has said the Federal Government would soon make a ‘Port Declaration’ of the proposed Ondo deep seaport, which would begin other processes at the port.
He hoped the port would be established before the end of the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
Sambo spoke during a meeting with Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN.
The minister, who hailed the steps taken by the state government to prepare for the port declaration, said once the requirements were met, the Federal Government would not hesitate to make the declaration, under Section 30 of the Ports Act.
The minister, in a statement in Abuja yesterday by the Director Press of the ministry, Eric Ojiekwe, said: “We want to see this port come to life before the end of this administration because having another deep sea port will do a lot of good to the blue economy policy of the Federal Government.”
The minister, who said there were only two deep sea ports in Nigeria, while all others were river ports, including Apapa and Tin-Can ports, added that the development of the deep seaport in Ondo was a welcome development to the country.
Akeredolu said the purpose of the visit was to acquaint the ministry with the vision of the state government on the development of a deep seaport in Ilaje area of Ondo State, following Federal Government’s module of Public Private Partnership.
Akeredolu, who said the port would bring enormous socio-economic benefits to the Federal Government, the state and the host communities, added that Dubai Port and China Habour were among the many international partners, who had indicated interest in developing the port.