NPA to begin construction of Lekki deep seaport in Apri

Arrangements had been concluded to commence construction of Lekki Deep Seaport project in April, Malam Habib Abdullahi, Managing Director, Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), has said.

Musa Iliya, Assistant General Manager, Public Affairs, NPA, said this on Sunday in Lagos in a statement issued to newsmen.

Iliya quoted Abdullahi as describing the Lekki Deep seaport project as “an example of Public- Private-Partnership (PPP) success story.’’

Abdullahi assured stakeholders that as an investor and technical regulator, the NPA was committed to the actualisation of the project, which would make Nigeria a hub port in West Africa.

The MD said that the NPA had paid its N1 billion equity for the project as at 2015.

The statement quoted Mr Haresh Ascoani, Managing Director, Lekki Deep Seaport, as saying that the port would transform the Lekki Free Trade Zone into a new industrial city if it becomes operational.

He said that the seaport would be the deepest seaport in West Africa and second in Africa after South Africa deep seaport.

He added that the port would drive Nigeria’s economy, created job opportunities and attract investments to Nigeria worth over 25 billion dollars.

Ascoani said that China Construction Company would commence the construction of the port in April.