James Sowole in Abeokuta
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has disclosed that construction work on the over $7 billion Gateway Deep Sea Port and Ogun State Blue Marine Special Economic Zone in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area will commence in November this year.
Abiodun disclosed this while addressing All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders in Ijebu East and Ijebu North Local Government Areas, days after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with DP World MEA FZE in Paris, France, in the presence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The governor said the groundbreaking ceremony for the project would take place in November, after which construction would commence immediately, with the port expected to be substantially completed within two and a half years.
“By November, we will perform the groundbreaking and the construction will start immediately. In two and a half years, that port will almost be completed 100 per cent,” Abiodun said.
He said the project, to be undertaken in partnership with DP World, one of the world’s major port operators, represented a significant opportunity to unlock Ogun State’s maritime and economic potential.
According to him, the port project had remained largely unrealised for more than three decades despite its enormous potential, prompting his administration to revive it as part of its strategy to attract investment and accelerate economic development.
“Governance is about vision and implementation,” the governor said, adding that the project would position Ogun as a major maritime destination in Africa.
“Ogun State will become the marine capital of Africa, the marine hub of West Africa, meaning that the biggest ships in the world, when they are coming to Africa, will first come to Ogun Waterside.”
Abiodun expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for his support for the project, particularly for personally witnessing the signing of the MoU and assuring the investors of the Federal Government’s backing.
He also cited ongoing federal infrastructure projects as complementary developments that would enhance connectivity to Ogun East, including the rehabilitation of the Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode-Ore Road with concrete pavement and the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
The governor further drew attention to the mineral and energy resources in the senatorial district, particularly the extensive bitumen deposits in Ijebu East.
“Ijebu East all the way to Ondo State is what we call our Bitumen Belt, the largest deposit of bitumen in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is between Ijebu East, all the way to Ondo State,” he said.
He also noted the presence of crude oil resources in other parts of the state, including Odogbolu, saying his administration would continue to explore opportunities to harness the state’s natural resources for economic development.
On the 2027 elections, Abiodun commended APC members for remaining committed to the party despite the outcome of the recent primaries, particularly those who did not secure the party’s tickets.
He called on party leaders to pursue genuine reconciliation, bring aggrieved members back into the fold and broaden the party’s membership base.
The governor also appealed to APC members in Ogun East to support the party’s candidates, saying he would deploy his contacts, connections and experience to attract additional development projects to the senatorial district.
Abiodun urged party members to intensify mobilisation ahead of the elections, stressing that the objective was to secure victory for all APC candidates from the presidential to the State Assembly levels.
The State Chairman of the APC, Chief Yemi Sanusi, highlighted the administration’s achievements over the past seven years, saying Ogun East required effective representation capable of working with the President to attract further development to the district.
Also speaking, the APC Campaign Director-General, Senator Lekan Mustapha, said Ogun East was endowed with substantial natural resources which, if fully developed, could accelerate the district’s economic growth.
He urged party members to remain united, work as a team and support the party’s candidates ahead of the elections.