Rep member admits delay in flag-off of Badagry deep seaport 

Abiola Seun

A member representing Badagry Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon Babatunde Hunpe has admitted delay in the flag-off of construction of Badagry Deep Seaport, saying it’s necessary.

Recall that despite several assurances, the promoters of the Badagry Deep Seaport project are yet to commence foundation-laying of the project, thereby creating anxiety among maritime stakeholders and host communities.

The project is being executed through a public-private partnership (PPP) overseen by the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, Lagos State Government as well as private consortium of APM Terminals, Orlean Invest, Oando, Terminal Investment Ltd and Macquarie.

But  Hunpe, over the weekend while speaking on the sidelines of the presentation of relief materials by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Lagos, attributed the delay of the project to processes being taken to see to its actualisation of the project.

According to him, there are processes being taken to see to the fulfilment of the project but unfortunately, it takes time and thus the delays experienced in the project.

“I want to assure my people that the Badagry Deep Seaport project is on course. When one starts a project, people expect it to come very quickly but there are processes to follow.

“It is because of these processes to be taken that the project is delayed,” he said.
Hunpe noted that the project had been discussed on the floor of the house during the Apapa gridlock crisis.”

He said that the Badadgry Deep seaport needed to come on board to decongest container traffic at the Apapa port.