Lekki emerging Africa’s biggest business destination – Ambode
Govenor Akinwunmi Ambode has described the Lekki corridor an emerging Africa’s biggest business destination given the multi-billion dollars investments within that area
Ambode, who was on a recent visit to the Lekki Free Trade Zone (LFTZ) in the company of Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, and Femi Otedola, chairman, Forte Oil, said that the massive investments by the government and private sector, was changing the landscape of Lekki.
Dangote, among other investors, is building an oil refinery and petrochemical plant within the Lekki free zone. The refinery, which will be the single largest in the world, will have the capacity to refine 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
According to Ambode, the infrastructural renewal within Lekki-Epe axis was geared towards preparing Lagos in particular and Nigeria in general for industrial revolution.
The governor said he was pleased by the remarkable progress made since the last time a major inspection tour of the projects was carried out, adding that activities within the zone would positively impact on the economy of the state.
“You are all aware that we flagged off the construction of Lekki Deep Sea Port a few weeks ago. What we are doing more importantly, as a government, is to continue to encourage the Dangote Group and other investors to do what is right for this country and for us to join hands to show that Lagos is the next destination for the industrial revolution that is taking place in Nigeria and we are very happy to be doing this.
“That is what this Lekki Free Trade Zone area is all about; that is why a whole lot of what we are doing in the Epe and Lekki axis in pieces more or less when they come to fruition will really show that Lagos is the next destination for investment in Africa,” he said.
Aliko Dangote, while also speaking, said the combined projects under construction within the LFTZ was the largest anywhere in the world, and that it was important for the right message about the axis to be communicated to the people to appreciate its impact on the economy.
“What is happening here is the largest project anywhere in the world today and this visit is just to show the governor the industrial jetty that we have built including the water breaker which is 900meters which is almost like about a mile.
“This is to show what we have done in terms of bringing in our cargo to build the refinery. We have done quite a lot in terms of water protection and also it is environmentally friendly and this is what we have shown the governor.
“This is just showing that this place is going to really open for business and we are looking for a lot of infrastructure to be built and this place will be the next destination for any investment in Nigeria.”