Ogun, DP World partner on $7bn-plus deep seaport, blue marine projects
The Ogun State Government has partnered with global logistics and port operator DP World MEA FZE to develop the Gateway Deep Sea Port and Ogun State Blue Marine Special Economic Zone, with the projects expected to attract more than $7 billion in initial investment and create over 50,000 direct jobs.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu witnessed the signing of the Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in Paris, France, alongside the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, and the Director-General of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho.
In his remarks, Tinubu said the projects would address longstanding infrastructure and logistics constraints while creating an integrated platform for industrial production, maritime commerce and access to African and global markets. “We are doing more than signing agreements; we are laying the foundation for a new chapter in Nigeria’s development,” he said.
The Gateway Deep Sea Port, planned for Ogun Waterside, will feature a four-kilometre berth and an 18-metre draft, while the proposed 10,000-hectare Blue Marine Special Economic Zone will support manufacturing, processing and export-oriented industries.
Tinubu noted that the port would help decongest the Lagos port corridor and reduce costs and delays for importers and exporters, while the special economic zone would enable Nigerian raw materials to be processed for export.
He said the 28-kilometre Ogun section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway would provide a critical link between the port, industrial zone, Lagos, the Nigerian hinterland and wider African markets. Tinubu also commended Governor Dapo Abiodun for securing the land and structuring the investment framework.
Earlier, Abiodun described the agreements as a defining moment in Ogun State’s economic history, saying the deep seaport vision had remained largely unrealised for more than three decades. He credited Tinubu’s leadership with moving the project towards implementation and commended federal institutions for their support.
Abiodun said the projects would enhance trade, attract investment, improve connectivity, strengthen supply chains and create opportunities across maritime services, logistics, manufacturing and technology.
“History will judge us not by the elegance of documents signed, but by the transformation that follows. Ceremonies proclaim intentions; only implementation creates prosperity,” he said.
