FROM GELEGELE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF BENIN RIVER PORT IN EDO
BY INWALOMHE DONALD
The main problem with Gelegele port is that the river channel leading to it is too narrow to accommodate large vessels. The shipping companies will find it more convenient to take their vessels to Lagos than to the Gelegele port. Over the years, seaports across the country have suffered neglect, depriving Nigeria of the economic advantages of having efficient and well-managed ports. Apart from the Lagos ports, there are seaports at Warri, Koko, Onne, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Lekki Deep Seaport and Ibom Deep Seaport at Ibaka, Akwa Ibom State, which is still at the design stage. There are also numerous inland dry ports and fuel depots.
Governor Obaseki did not know that Gelegele port was not viable and the location of Gelegele port is not attractive to foreign and local investors. Due to experts’ advice Governor Obaseki has to abandon Gelegele port to develop new Benin River port. The new Benin River port is 9 kilometers from Gelegele port. The ill-informed people should stop call Gelegele port project a fraud. Governor Obaseki solely depends on foreign and local investors for the development of Benin River port. The Edo State Government is redeveloping one of Nigeria’s oldest pre-colonial port as a multi-purpose port co-located with an agro-industrial park. The new site for the port, relocated downstream the Osse River to the Benin River, will provide 20 hectares of real estate for the port and 717 hectares for the larger port community, connected to Benin City via a 49.5km access road.
The project has been certified by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) as eligible for a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) as a counterparty.
The Edo State Government is concluding plans to develop the Benin River Ports project. Greg Ogbeifun, chairman of the Benin River Port Project Committee, said the state is finalising talks with the Port of Antwerp from Belgium to begin the development of the port. He said Mota Engil Africa has been selected as the preferred bidder to construct the 300,000 Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit Benin Port. The port would cost the private developers the sum of $1.5 billion and be concessioned for 50 years with the accruals to the concessionaire and the federal government.
Governor Obaseki had promised to build the port during his campaigns in 2016 and has ever since pursued the actualisation of the project, navigating an extremely complex maze of regulatory and institutional challenges. The governor had in his New Year address in 2017 announced the set-up of a seven-man committee chaired by Greg Ero, to lead the development of the port project. The committee was eventually succeeded by the Ogbeifun-led Benin Port project team, which is currently handling the project.
The Benin Port Project is designed to be a unique agro-based Port in Nigeria that encompasses a complete smart Port Community Complex for industrial processing and export of agricultural produce and other goods, with independent clean and renewable energy installations. “The container and multipurpose terminals of the port would also have RoRo facilities to enable direct importation of vehicles for the thriving automobile industry in Edo State, among others. This legacy project of His Excellency Governor Godwin Obaseki is expected to create massive employment and business opportunities in transforming the economy of Edo State and Nigeria.”
After 75 years of stalling, the Benin Port project is finally kicking off with the emergence of Mota Engil Africa as the preferred bidder. The port construction is one of the most ambitious legacy projects of Governor Godwin Obaseki-led Edo State government.
Greg Ogbeifun, chairman of the Benin Port Project, confirmed the emergence of Mota Engil Africa, after a one-week evaluation exercise conducted on the bids received in response to the request for proposals. Three pre-qualified bidders- China Harbour Engineering Company (China), Mota-Engil Africa (Portugal), and Yilport Holding Inc (Turkey), bid for the project. Mota Engil Africa, which is also handling the Kano-Maradi rail project of the Federal Government, recently took delivery of $200m worth of equipment, showcasing its capacity to deliver on big-ticket projects.
Benin River Port was initiated by the Obaseki led administration in Edo State. Governor Obaseki awarded N6.8bn contract for dualisation of Ekehuan Road, drainage construction on Uwadiae street to facilitate the development of Benin River Port. To provide needed infrastructure to fast track the development of the Benin River project and accelerate sustainable development in the state, Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki has awarded a N6.8 billion contract for the dualisation of Ekehuan Road and construction of underground drainage system on Uwadiae Street.
The Edo State Government is redeveloping one of Nigeria’s oldest pre-colonial port as a multi-purpose port co-located with an agro-industrial park. The new site for the port, relocated downstream the Osse River to the Benin River, will provide 20 hectares of real estate for the port and 717 hectares for the larger port community, connected to Benin City via a 49.5km access road.
The project has been certified by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) as eligible for a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) as a counterparty..
