Vincent Toritseju
Lagos — The Managing Director of Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise Limited, (LPLEL) promoters of the Lekki Deep Sea Port, Mr. Du Ruogang, has reaffirmed the commitment of the company to meeting the 2022 target date set for the completion of the project just as the projected revenue from taxes and levies is put at $201 billion.
Ruogang who disclosed this to newsmen during a media tour of the facility to assess the level of progress on the construction work at the project site, also said that construction work on the project has so far moved at a fast pace reaching 51 percent completion adding that some major milestones such as completion of eastern breakwater had been achieved.
He stressed that all hands are already on the deck to deliver first of its kind Deep Sea Port in Nigeria as one of the shareholders, the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, has commenced work to initiate marine services at the site.
He also expressed confidence that the Lekki Deep Sea Port would change the narrative of Nigeria’s maritime sector and consequently impact Nigeria’s economic development.
According to him, Lekki Port is estimated to have an aggregate economic impact of over 45 years, creating no less than 169,972 jobs and generating revenue for both State and Federal Government agencies through taxes, royalties and duties in the process.
While explaining some of the features of the Deep Sea Port which has been described as the first in Nigeria upon completion, the Chief Technical Officer, LPLEL, Steven Heukelom, noted that five ship-to-shore cranes and fifteen rubber tyre gantry cranes are being put in place to ensure ease in cargo evacuation, thus enhancing operation at the Port.
Heukelom, revealed that the Port which is being constructed on 90 hectares of land and through the Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) arrangement would comprise of three Container, three Liquid and one Dry Bulk berths.
He further noted that 55.75percent of the dredging and reclamation have so far been done while construction of the Quay Wall has reached 43.14percent.
