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 is expected to commence in November, Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has disclosed.
Abiodun made this known 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 a groundbreaking ceremony would be held in November, after which construction would commence immediately, with the project 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.
According to him, the project, being developed in partnership with DP World, one of the world’s major port operators, would unlock Ogun State’s maritime potential and create new opportunities for investment, trade and economic development.
Abiodun said the deep sea port project had remained largely unrealised for more than three decades despite its potential, noting that his administration had revived it as part of efforts to position Ogun as a major economic and maritime centre.
“Governance is about vision and implementation,” he said, adding that the project would position Ogun State 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,” the governor said.
He expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for supporting the project, particularly for witnessing the signing of the MoU and assuring investors of the Federal Government’s backing.
The governor also pointed to federal infrastructure projects that he said would complement the development of Ogun East, including the rehabilitation of the Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode-Ore Road and the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
Abiodun further identified 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 added that crude oil resources were also present in parts of the state, including Odogbolu, stressing that 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 its recent primaries, particularly members who failed to secure the party’s tickets.
He called for genuine reconciliation among party members and urged leaders to bring aggrieved members back into the fold while expanding the party’s membership base.
The governor also appealed to APC members in Ogun East to support the party’s candidates, assuring them that he would deploy his contacts, connections and experience to attract more development projects to the senatorial district.
He urged members to intensify mobilisation ahead of the elections, with the objective of securing victory for APC candidates at the presidential, National Assembly, governorship and State Assembly levels.
The APC State Chairman, Chief Yemi Sanusi, highlighted the achievements of the administration over the past seven years, saying Ogun East needed 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 properly developed, could accelerate the economic growth of the area.
Mustapha urged party members to remain united, work as a team and support the party’s candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
