As the Lekki Deep Seaport is nearing completion, the government is considering the relocation of about 5,000 residents around the facility to a more convenient place.
Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprises (LPLE) is a joint venture of Tolaram Group (75 per cent ), Lagos State Government (20 per cent), and the Nigerian Ports Authority (5 per cent.).
The seaport, which had been under construction for years, would be ready for a test run in September 2022, after which the first commercial vessel can be received at the port.
When it finally opens for business, there is expected to be a flurry of activities which will require space and so the government is planning to acquire about 1,000 hectares of land around the seaport.
This is expected to displace about 5,000 residents and the government will have to relocate to a more convenient place.
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi dropped the hint during the inspection of the port by President Mohammadu Buhari shortly after the commissioning of the $2.5 billion Dangote Fertiliser Plant.
While conducting the president around the construction work at the seaport, Amaechi said that preparations should be made by the government to either relocate the inhabitants or find a solution to their issues.
“I think relocation would be the best because if you do your environmental service, the implication is that you don’t just dislodge people from their natural environment even though the law gives you the power to one the land, you must take into consideration those who leave around the area.
‘I will have a conversation with the governor of Lagos State on what will happen because we need to acquire all that land, which is about 1, 000 hectares”.
The president was at the seaport to publicise it so that prospective investor’s people will know the government is building the first deep seaport.
“The other ports in Nigeria are all river ports. The next reason for the president coming is to put the heat on them, you are now that the port is almost ready, if not for the equipment, they can get this place ready before June, but they said the equipment is arriving by June 2022 and installation will take them till September 2022 and it can be commissioned in September.
“You see the miracle of bringing the president here, that is why a president needs to inspect projects, that will hasten the process of completion if there is money.
He invited private investors to come and build a railway that will link the port.
He explained that linking roads to the port is the responsibility of the Federal Ministry of Works, saying that he would convey the fears of the owners of the port and the community to the president.
“This is a private port, not a government port, so no agency will run here. The agencies will be present but they won’t run here because it is a private port and here is heavily automated so we won’t have too many staff working here.
“You won’t see it the way you see at Apapa port and all goods won’t come to Lagos, goods will go to Warri, Port Harcourt and what the Government needs to do is to either rehabilitate those ports or build new ones. I am convinced that we should commence work in Bonny deep seaport before we leave office.
“The one of Ibaka has gotten government’s approval, we are fast-tracking the one at Badagry so they can also get approvals.
By the time we leave office, All those people who would have been approved are all private seaports. The only one that government will participate in on its own is the Bonny seaport.
The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello-Koko has said that the operation of the Lekki deep seaport would drive competition among terminal operators in the country.
The NPA Boss Lekki Port would compel other terminal operators, to up their games by reducing cargo dwell time at their terminals.
Also, the Managing Director of Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), Adesoji Adesugba, said the Lagos Free Trade Zone was one of the biggest in the port given its size.
He explained that Lekki Deepsea Port was the biggest port in West Africa which can berth the biggest vessels in Africa noting ships that are four times the size of those at Apapa port in Lagos would berth at Lekki Port.
Adesugba added that the multiplier effect was a phenomenon with the kind of investment in the area.
He explained that in 45 years we expect $461billion, saying that thousands of Nigerians would be working in the zone.
The managing director said that the free trade zone will open doors for those who want to set up factories there as their production centre where the good incentives offered by the government, thereby making them competitive.
