Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State

By Jethro Ibileke

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state has said that the Benin Port project will boost economic activities in the State and create over 30,000 jobs on completion.

Obaseki who stated this in Benin on Tuesday at the town hall and stakeholders’ meeting with the host communities, called for the support and collaboration of all stakeholders for the realization of the big-ticket project.

Represented by his Special Adviser on Strategy, Policy, Projects and Performance Management, Sarah Esangbedo Ajose-Adeogun, the Governor said his administration is developing a community content policy for the Benin Port Project which will ensure that all host communities are carried along as the project progresses to enable them to directly benefit from the project.

He, therefore, appealed to the host communities to embrace dialogue and engagement so as not to frustrate the progress of the project.

He said, “The Benin Port Project will create employment opportunities for the people of the State, especially for the host communities who will benefit directly from the project. The project will create over 30,000 employment opportunities. Already, scholarships have been awarded to people even before the groundbreaking of the project.

“Ten members of the host communities are already on scholarship abroad for professions in the maritime industry. More will benefit from the scholarship programme as each community will register members of their communities to enable them to benefit from the project.”

According to the Governor, the iconic port project will put the State on the global map and change the State’s economy, even as it will make it occupy a global stage in terms of logistics and the global economy.

“We are building an agro-allied port, allowing us to have access to agro-allied products as the project is very key. This project will elevate our communities, reduce poverty, and develop the State and communities as Edo will become a global player in the maritime industry,” he added.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman of the Benin Port Project, Engr. Greg Ogbeifun commended the Governor for his foresight in developing the project.

He commended the cooperation of the host communities, assuring that the groundbreaking for the port will take place this year.

According to him, “With projects like this, States borrow huge resources to fund the project and mortgage the future of the State but the Edo State Government is building the Port without borrowing any money. We are building through the Private-Public-Partnership arrangement policy which the Federal Government is now emulating.”

“I am happy for the cooperation of the host communities so far. I appeal for a more conducive environment to ensure the Port comes into existence.”

On his part, the Project Director of Benin Port, Dr Joe Aigboduwa, noted that the Benin Port will “encourage the exportation of agricultural products from the State and also decongest the Lagos Port.”

He disclosed that after the completion of the Benin River Port Project, a Maritime Transportation Institute will be established inside the Port to train dock workers while the scholarship programme continues for host communities.

“The Benin Port will be the closest to the Dangote Refinery and the Lekki Deep Sea Port and will take five hours sailing to other ports when we start operation,” he added.