FG greenlights $45m feasibility study for new western seaports route

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved $45.3 million for an in-depth feasibility study and engineering design for a new transportation route alignment serving the four western seaports.

Sa’idu Alkali, minister of transportation made this known Monday following the Federal Executive Council meeting, indicating that this initiative will connect the Badagry Deep Seaport to Tincan, link Tincan to Apapa, and establish connections from the Lekki Seaport to Ijebu-Ode, as well as extending to Kajola and the Lagos-Kano-Maradi railway project.

The Lekki Deep Sea Port with three terminals is designed to handle a substantial volume of cargo, boasting an initial draft of 14 meters, with provisions for future dredging to 16.5 meters.

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“The idea is to link the western port to the hinterland,” said Alkali who noted that Apapa Port alone is linked with a red line.

“We have a standard gauge inter APMT terminal in Apapa, which we are using for freight from Lagos to Ibadan and we have the old narrow gauge that was rehabilitated, we have put it into use for freight from Lagos to Kano.”

According to Alkali, a successful linkage of all four seaports at the Western corridor to the hinterland, will “further grow our GDP and enhance our economic activity.”

The Federal Executive Council on Monday approved a contract of N1.067tn for the construction of the first phase of the coastal highway.

Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, stated this after the Council met at the State House, Abuja, for the eighth time since President Bola Tinubu assumed office.