In preparation to begin the construction works on the proposed Benin Port, Mota-Engil Nigeria has taken delivery of another set of equipment as part of the $200 million investment in Nigeria.
Some of the newly delivered equipment include Sleeper’s Factory, Rail Route Tyre Excavators, Drillers, Rails, Trailers, Heavy Duty Dumpers, Bulldozers and Motor Graders.
Leading a team to inspect the new equipment at the PTML terminal in Lagos, Nuno Colaço, logistics manager of the company, said the firm now boasts of a modern fleet of equipment in the construction industry in Nigeria that will be deployed to its ever-growing number of projects to ensure timely and quality delivery.
Colaço said the latest acquisition coincides with Mota-Engil’s emergence as the preferred bidder for the Benin Port Project, which has been described as the most ambitious legacy project of Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo State.
Greg Ogbeifun, chairman of the Benin Port Project, confirmed at the weekend that the preferred bidder, Mota Engil Nigeria, emerged after a rigorous evaluation exercise conducted on the bids received in response to the Request for Proposals, from three pre-qualified bidders.
The Benin Port is designed to be a unique agro-based port in Nigeria that encompasses a complete smart Port Community Complex for industrial processing and export of agricultural produce and other goods, with independent, clean and renewable energy installations.
The container terminal of the port will be built to have 300,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) including multipurpose RoRo facilities to enable direct importation of vehicles for the thriving automobile industry in Edo State, among other commercial activities that would spring from the port operations.
While reacting to Mota-Engil’s emergence as the port developer, Governor Obaseki said it was a delight that the project has finally kicked off to serve as a launch pad for the expansion of Edo’s $11.8 billion economy.
Obaseki said the port would catalyse the growth of the agriculture, real estate, manufacturing, food processing, automotive, power, retail and extractive sectors.
Earlier in the week, the Federal Government requested Mota-Engil Nigeria to procure Compressed National Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as against Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) engines for the Kano-Maradi rail line Rolling Stock for more environmentally-friendly operations.
On her part, Magdalene Ajani, permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, said while signing the agreement that the Federal Government decided to award the contract for the procurement of the Rolling Stock to the company in order to ensure a seamless transition from construction to operational phase upon the completion of construction of the Kano–Maradi Rail line in a few years.
