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N54.76tr abandoned seaport projects could miss 2025 deadline

N54.76tr abandoned seaport projects could miss 2025 deadline

The completion of abandoned seaports across the country, estimated to be worth $36.5 billion (or 54.76 trillion naira) and due for delivery next year, remains uncertain.

Financing problems have stalled projects such as Bonny Deep Seaport ($462 million), Ibom Deep Seaport ($4.2 billion) and Badagry Deep Seaport ($2.59 billion). Other projects include Ondo Port ($1.5 billion) and Escravos Deep Seaport, estimated to cost $27.29 billion.

The situation has led to calls to re-evaluate Nigeria’s approach to developing its port infrastructure.

Stakeholders have expressed uncertainty about the completion of the projects, citing poor planning, inadequate financing models and the lack of a coherent strategy for integrating the ports into the broader logistics network.

For example, work has still not started at the site, despite the Badagry Deep Seaport being scheduled to open in 2025.

The Escravos project, which is set to be part of a larger free trade zone that will include a refinery, a gas complex and an independent power plant, is facing delays due to land acquisition issues, environmental impact assessments and government approvals for international financing.

Mohammed Bello-Koko, a former managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), acknowledged the delays, saying the agency had received many proposals for the development of deep-sea ports, including those in Ibom, Burutu, Bakassi, Bonny and Benin, all of which were at various stages of assessment.

He noted that the proposals of the promoters of the deep-sea port of Escravos did not have the necessary information to enable the authority to provide further advice.

Stakeholders have also highlighted the broader implications of the unfinished projects, expressing frustration at the lack of progress and describing them as “white elephant projects” that deplete resources without delivering the promised economic benefits.

Waredi Eniuosoh, former director of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), criticized the exclusion of professionals from project planning.

He also expressed scepticism about the ambitious timescales given for the projects, suggesting that the term ‘deep-sea port’ may have been used too broadly.
“People come up with all these laudable ideas without surrounding themselves with down-to-earth technical people. They feel that professionals take their shine off. In the process, the plot gets lost when challenges come,” Eniuosoh said.

Tajudeen Alao, chairman of the Nigerian Association of Masters Mariners (NAMM), questioned the need for developing multiple seaports at every river mouth in Nigeria. According to him, the country may only need three efficient, smart ports.

Maritime expert Alloy Rufus said the ports represent a significant misallocation of resources and that opportunities for economic development and employment are being lost as a result.

He described the projects as “white elephant ventures” and noted that the unfinished ports are worsening congestion at the country’s ports, particularly in Lagos, where Apapa and Tin Can Island ports are struggling to handle the expected volume of cargo.