Vincent Toritseju
Lagos — MINISTER of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has said that he embarked on second visit to the Lekki Deepsea port within two months to ensure the project is track for delivery timeline.
Speaking during the visit to the port project last Sunday, Amaechi also said that his visits to the Port this year is to appraise the status of the construction of the Port and assess the steps taken by management for operational readiness.
The Minister, accompanied by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Dr. Magdalene Ajani; the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr. Mohammed Bello-Koko; the Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh;Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) and a host of directors, General Managers and officers, commended the progress of work at the Port site while encouraging the management to keep up the momentum.
He said: “I am impressed with the level of work compared to the last time I came here. Things have gone forward. Today, I can see several facility buildings have sprung up, including the 16 Mega Watts power plant, stacking areas, & jetties under construction. The promoters have taken the Port to a 14.8m depth at the quay & 16.5m at the fairway buoys.
“The Lekki Deepsea Port is estimated to contribute about $360b to Nigeria’s GDP over the 45-year concession term of the project, explaining the multiplier effect of the investment in and around the Port would create enormous economic activities and jobs.”
Similarly, the Chief Executive Officer, Lekki Port, Mr.Du Ruogang, assured the Minister that everything is going according to schedule to deliver the Port for the start of operations
Chief Operating Officer, Lekki Port, Mr. Laurence Smith, informed the Minister that 15 purpose-built Rubber Tyre Gantry (RTG) cranes are being fabricated for Lekki Port just as five ship-to-shore cranes are ready for shipment and will be arriving at the Port in June 2022.
Speaking in the same vein, the Chief Executive Officer, Lekki Freeport Terminal (the container terminal operator of the Port), Mr. Denrick Moos explained that the terminal operating system is being put in place. He explained that terminal operations training will start in April 2022.
All these efforts, he noted, are geared towards smooth take-off of port operations later this year.
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