By Godwin Oritse

LAGOS—AHEAD of the commissioning of the $1.5billion Lekki  Deep Seaport next month, the Port was yesterday handed over to Tolarams Group by China Harbours, the contractor that constructed the facility. Speaking at the completion ceremony at Lekki port, Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, promised to expand the roads leading to the port to a six-lane facility,  with a view to ensuring  seamless evacuation of cargo from the port.

Sanwo-Olu also said that with a projected 1.2million Twenty Equipment Unit, TEUs, the port would make Nigeria a hub in the entire sub-region.

He also called on community stakeholders within port axis to give all the necessary support as the port promises to generate over 200,000 jobs within communities around the port area.

Sanwo-Olu said:  “We will stop at nothing to complete the roads leading to the port, all the shanties along the road will be cleared to give  way for the expansion of the roads.

“With the port completed and a projected 1.2million TEUs, Lagos has become a maritime hub.”

Similarly, Chairman of the Board of  the port, Mr. Abiodun Dabiri, said that the port was poised to deliver on its promise to make Nigeria a hub in the sub-region.

Dabiri also said the Board was pleased to celebrate the completion of construction of the port and the effective handover of the facilities by Lekki Port from the  Contractor, China Harbour Engineering LFTZ Enterprise, CHELE, a subsidiary of China Harbour Engineering Company.

“It has been a long journey of many steps, starting from the time Tolaram, led by Pa Mohan Aswani, sought to develop a deep sea port for the benefit of the Lagos Free Zone, and, indeed, all of Lagos State and Nigeria; to getting a concession from the Nigerian Ports Authority for a unique private public partnership port; getting a loan facility from China Development Bank to the infusion of equity capital in the sum of US$221million by China Harbour Engineering Company to the start of construction in the midst of an unprecedented global pandemic.  It  has indeed been a journey.”