By Clement Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the proposed Bakassi Deep Sea Port will strengthen Nigeria’s position as a leading maritime gateway in West Africa and the African continent.
Dantsoho said the port, when completed, would transform the country’s maritime sector, boost regional trade, improve connectivity with landlocked countries and attract increased investments into Nigeria’s blue economy.
He made this known in a goodwill message at the presidential groundbreaking ceremony of the Bakassi Deep Sea Port held on Friday.
According to him, the port is strategically designed to serve as a major maritime hub for Nigeria, the wider Gulf of Guinea and countries across the Sahel region.
He disclosed that the project, being developed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement with financial backing of $3.5 billion from the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), would accommodate Ultra Large Container Vessels (ULCVs), thereby reducing the need for frequent maintenance dredging.
The NPA boss said the port’s strategic location, alongside supporting infrastructure, would give Nigeria a competitive advantage in the global shipping and logistics industry.
He explained that the facility would be supported by a dedicated 275-kilometre, six-lane Calabar-Ogoja-Gakem Superhighway, which would provide an efficient evacuation corridor linking the port to the North-Central and North-Eastern regions.
Dantsoho added that the highway, like the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, would improve connectivity, ease the movement of cargo and strengthen port operations along the coastal corridor.
He said the road infrastructure would also position the port as a cost-effective transshipment gateway for landlocked countries, including Chad, Niger Republic, Mali and Burkina Faso.
Highlighting the economic potential of the project, Dantsoho noted that Africa has 16 of the world’s 44 landlocked countries, four of which are in West Africa, with a combined population of approximately 101 million people.
“The Bakassi Deep Sea Port therefore presents an important opportunity to strengthen regional trade connectivity, facilitate access to international shipping routes and position Nigeria as a preferred maritime gateway for the wider West and Central African markets,” he said.
The NPA managing director stressed that the size of a country’s economy and population must be matched by adequate maritime infrastructure to facilitate international trade and economic growth.
He cited the United States and Brazil as examples of countries whose large economies and populations are supported by major maritime facilities, including the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Santos.
According to him, Nigeria must pursue sustained investments in port infrastructure, modern technology and operational efficiency to position its maritime facilities among the best in Africa.
Drawing comparisons between Nigeria and Brazil, Dantsoho said the Port of Santos, which is about 200 years old, and Apapa Port, approximately 100 years old, both require continuous modernisation to meet changing demands in international shipping.
He stressed the need for Nigeria to simultaneously modernise existing brownfield ports and develop new greenfield deep-sea ports to expand capacity and improve competitiveness.
“The Brazilian experience offers an interesting comparison with Nigeria because both countries have ports with long histories. The Port of Santos is about 200 years old, while Apapa Port is approximately 100 years old.
“These ports require continuous modernisation to meet the evolving demands of international shipping. This underscores the urgent need for Nigeria to modernise its existing brownfield ports while simultaneously developing greenfield deep-sea ports,” he said.
Dantsoho commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his commitment to transforming the maritime sector through ongoing port modernisation, expansion and facilities upgrade projects.
He said investments in the Western and Eastern Ports were critical to expanding capacity, improving operational efficiency and enabling Nigerian ports to accommodate larger vessels while competing favourably with leading international ports.
The NPA chief also congratulated Tinubu, Cross River State Governor, Prince Bassey Edet Otu, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, and Nigerians on the groundbreaking ceremony, describing it as a major milestone towards unlocking the country’s maritime and economic potential.
He reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to collaborating with the Cross River State Government, private investors, technical partners, regulatory agencies and other stakeholders to ensure the successful completion and operation of the project.
Dantsoho assured that the NPA, under the supervision of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, would ensure compliance with safety standards, environmental sustainability, operational regulations and international best practices throughout the construction and operational phases.
He expressed optimism that the Bakassi Deep Sea Port, alongside investments in existing port infrastructure, would boost Nigeria’s maritime competitiveness, promote regional integration, create economic opportunities and consolidate the country’s position as a major maritime and logistics hub in Africa.
