Mkpoikana Udoma
Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, said the proposed Bakassi Deep Seaport will facilitate seamless maritime and shipping activities within the African sub region when completed.
Governor Ayade, who described the port as a regional African port, and the deepest port in Africa, disclosed that the Republic of Chad was already disposed to having a bonded warehouse within the precinct of the Bakassi Deep Sea port.
He stressed that the Bakassi Deep Seaport was not only geared towards opening an alternative maritime corridor for Nigeria, which according to him, the country is in dire need of, but also designed to ease shipping and maritime difficulties of neighbouring landlocked African countries.
The governor said that the 274 kilometre superhighway linking Cross River to the Northern part of the country was conceived with the Bakassi Deep seaport in mind.
According to him, “If you have a Deep Seaport without a superhighway, you are wasting your time. Nigeria basically needs an alternative maritime corridor. Nigeria is in dire need of an alternative maritime corridor.
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“Every Nigerian who loves this country knows that Nigeria is in desperate need of of an alternative maritime corridor to be able to provide the posterity agenda that we profess to our people.
“Today in Nigeria, we don’t have a port in the category of a deep seaport. The Bakassi Deep Seaport is the first Deep Seaport in Nigeria. It is a 20 metres draft port, one of the biggest port in Africa.”
He assured of his administration and Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that the seaport project comes to fruition.
“It takes at least 15 years to obtain an OBC approval for the construction of a seaport but it took Cross River only three years. This shows strong will and commitment by the federal government to support the Bakassi Deep Seaport.
“The Bakassi Deep Seaport is not a Cross River Port. It is not a Nigerian port. It is indeed a regional African port. It will serve Africa.”
Earlier, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Terradyn Corporation, Mr. Brent Dyke, commended governor Ayade’s foresight in conceptualizing the port project.
Dyke described Nigeria as a very very fortunate country blessed with abundant natural resources.
