President Bola Tinubu has flagged off the construction of the Bakassi Deep Seaport in Cross River State, describing the project as a strategic national investment expected to expand maritime trade, attract industries and create jobs.
Tinubu, represented by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, spoke on Friday at the groundbreaking ceremony in Bakassi, where he said the port would open new commercial corridors and strengthen Nigeria’s position in regional and international trade.
The President said the project, which was conceived in 2014, had the potential to reduce pressure on existing ports, particularly in Lagos, and enable Nigeria to retain more cargo currently handled by neighbouring countries.
He said the proposed facility, designed with a 20-metre draft to accommodate large vessels, would be connected to a 260-kilometre superhighway to facilitate the movement of goods to markets across the country.
“This is beyond a Cross River dream. It is a Nigerian project. It is a poverty breaker,” Tinubu said.
He argued that the project would complement rather than compete with Lagos, which handles more than 80 per cent of Nigeria’s foreign trade, according to him.
“Lagos is not our enemy. Lagos is our elder brother in trade. No country eats with one hand. No country carries all its loads on one shoulder. That shoulder will break,” he said.
