Bakassi Deep Seaport Will Be Second Trade Port In Nigeria – Consultant As Ayade Restates Commitment

By Efa Sunday, Government House Correspondent

The team handling the Bakassi Deep Seaport project, Feedback Infrastructure Services has just presented it’s second Outline Business Case (OBC) before the Governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade and members of the State Executive Council.

The Team Lead, Engr. Onuoha Nnachi commended the Governor for taking up the effort to construct the second trade port in Nigeria, aside the Apapa port in Lagos.

Mr. Onuoha said, his company considered minute economic indices which will put the project on a favourable pedal to compete with other projects around the world in terms of standard.

“The Bakassi Deap Sea Port project is not something that you can just wake up and decide to start anyhow. The process has been a thorough one, very detailed and very demanding. Look at any other State that has done seaport from Badagry to Epe in Lagos, the average time for it’s completion is five years, but we are proud to say that within eighteen months Ayade has achieved thus far.

“What we have put together can stand any standard in the world. We took into consideration the fundamental economic variables, such as interest rate, inflation and exchange rates. The Bakassi Deep Seaport will be the second trade port in Nigeria,” he added.

Reacting, the Governor, Sen. Ben Ayade restated his commitment in completing his signature projects within his tenure in office, promising that the dusty path of the Super Highway will be ready by the close of 2019.

Commenting on the choice of a new port as against the desires of some Cross Riverians to dredge the Calabar River, he said, “the Calabar River is an inland port, and it is 97km away from the open Sea. To dredge it from 2km to about 14.5km will need about 200-300 million dollars, which will in turn suffer oscillation.

“The choice of the Bakassi Deep Seaport allows us the flexibility of having a functional sea at the mouth if the great Qua River, which is only 5km away from the open sea.” He maintained.

In furtherance he added, “Lagos port is now over saturated, and there is now the need to have another functional port somewhere else in the country. The Governors of the five Eastern States have already shown their interest in the Calabar Port, because it will allow for ease in clearing and forwarding of their goods, since Calabar is closer to the East than Lagos.

Talking on funding, Ayade said, “We don’t have to bother about where the money will come from. With or without money, the intellectual money will see this project to a reality. Since the OBC has been submitted, it is now our duty to catapult it to the ICRC, and by then I bet you that money will start running after the project.”