·Say Proposed Refinery, Free Trade Zone Will Compound Traffic Along Axis
Oluyinka Onigbinde
The directive for the completion of the Lekki Deep Seaport by the end of the third quarter of 2022 by the Minister of Transportation; Rotimi Amaechi is generating anxiety among stakeholders in the maritime sector.
Amaechi who was in Lagos recently to inspect the port which is being constructed in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos had said that the government will want the promoters to double their effort and make the port ready by August, 2022.
But, stakeholders have raised some issues and have asked questions about the Minister’s deadline, the environmental impact of the port, and the attendant pressure of the port operations on infrastructure.
The expressed doubt if the handlers have carried out a thorough Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the area before starting the construction of the deep seaport.
The stakeholders also lamented that with a lack of rail, pipeline and good road network and other vital cargo evacuation infrastructures, the deep seaport will be a re-hearse of the Apapa and Tin Can ports traffic gridlock.
Checks by Shipping Position Daily revealed that the $1.65 billion port project, financed by six international banks is being built on a tripartite arrangement of the Federal Government, represented by Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the Lagos State Government and private inventors, represented by Tolaram Group of Singapore.
Under the Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) arrangement, the equity arrangement of 20 per cent is for the Federal Government; Lagos State government 18.5 per cent and the private inventors have 61.85 per cent.
The promoters had said the port is conceived to reduce pressure on the already congested Lagos seaports and as reduce the gridlock along the Apapa axis.
Specifically, a veteran petroleum engineer and public affairs analyst, Engr. Bala Zakka who spoke exclusively to our correspondent, questioned the Environmental Impact Assessment of the area, stating that the EIA will determine whether or not the Lekki Deep Seaport is an ideal port.
He stated that with the completion of the deep seaport and the completion of Dangote refinery over 2,500 trucks are expected to visit Ibeju Lekki on a daily basis.
He said: “The question is what is the Environmental Impact Assessment of the area saying, it is from the EIA report that we will know whether they just did it or we are considering an ideal deep seaport in their report.
“It is after we look at this, we will now begin to talk about practical realities, first of all, we are not surprised that it is coinciding with Dangote refinery around there, there is already this conception that by the time the Dangote refinery is through, we are likely to have close to 2,000 tankers going in that direction.
“For me as an objective analyst, it is important that we know what the EIA says, have they studied the road, what is going to happen in Langbasa, Badore, have they considered the 4th Mainland Bridge just to aid evacuation. Because if you have, that means even trucks coming to Lagos don’t need to pass through the Third Mainland Bridge, they need to cut and we will give them priority to 4th mainland bridge, so that when they come they land on one part of Lagos and before you know they will appear at the other extreme of Lagos. So we need to look at all this, you know we are talking about five hours traffic now, by the time the deep seaport and Dangote refinery is ready, it might get to 18 hours”, he alerted.
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Similarly, the Executive Officer, Center for Promotion of Private Enterprises (CPPE); Dr Muda Yusuf, explained that the existing road along that axis cannot cope with the challenges of a port without alternatives.
According to him, “it is a question of planning. Infrastructure is not static. I expect the existing plan to be expanded so that roads can be constructed to ease movement. Already, we have issues with traffic along that axis.”
Also speaking to our correspondent, the President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA); Mr Tony Nwabunike also decried the lack of proper infrastructure at the Lekki port, while also stating that the rush for the completion of the deep seaport is just for electioneering purpose.
“In this century, the federal government is working on another port without a good road network, presently the road is highly congested and there is no single plan for railway, no plan for barges, no visible government infrastructure in Epe and we are talking about deep seaport”, he lamented.
“I think the rush is just about the electorate. I don’t see why they should not put highly sophisticated infrastructure, let them take a visit over the world and see how deep seaports are being built, then they will know whether what they are doing is not a mirage”, he said.
On his part, the President, Council of Maritime Transport Union Associations (COMTUA) Mr Yinka Aroyewun, commended the government for creating another alternative to the Apapa and Tin Can ports.
He however, said there is a need to have an alternative to means of transportation and not limit transportation of cargoes to just trucks, he noted that there is a need to have the railway in place to complement efforts of the trucks.
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