The hope of residents of Badagry and its environs for economic revival through the much-anticipated Badagry Deep Seaport appears to have been dashed, as the $2.59bn project shows no significant signs of progress, one year after entering its second phase.
Shipping Position Daily recalls that In August 2024, the Chief Executive Officer of Badagry Port Development Limited (BPDL), Didi Ndiomu during a visit to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, disclosed that the project, structured in four phases was in its second stage, focusing on implementation and securing financial partners.
Ndiomu further noted that Badagry, alongside Agge Port in Bayelsa, stands as one of Nigeria’s only natural deep seaports, eliminating dredging costs and attracting investor interest.
However, Minister Oyetola had reassured stakeholders that the Federal Government remained committed to facilitating the realization of the Badagry Deep Seaport. He described the project as pivotal to President Bola Tinubu’s economic agenda, citing it as a catalyst for job creation, revenue generation, and international trade competitiveness.
The Federal Government, in August 2022 approved the sum of $2.59bn for the development of the Badagry Deep Seaport project under a Private-Public Partnership. The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who received the approval, noted that it is expected to have 2,470 metre quay length container terminal, 560 metre quay length break bulk terminal, 360 metre quay length OSB terminal and minimum of 18 metre depth.
In July 2023, the also revealed that the state had obtained approval for the building of the port to decongest Apapa and Tin Can. The governor expressed the hope that with the collaboration of investors, the Badagry port should be delivered in two years (that is, in 2025). The project is expected to generate 250,000 direct jobs, enhance Government revenue and operate under a Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) concession agreement.
Despite assurances from the Lagos State Government that the $2.59 billion Badagry Deep Sea Port will be completed by 2025, recent findings by our correspondent indicate that development at the proposed site around the Gberefu area of Badagry had stalled.
Our correspondent observed that the land earmarked for the port remains overgrown, with no construction equipment or ongoing activity in sight. This has raised concerns among local residents and stakeholders about the project’s future and the credibility of the completion timeline.
Local residents confirmed that heavy machinery was brought in earlier in 2024 to clear parts of the site, but was withdrawn before the rainy season commenced, leaving the land untouched since. Communities from Gberefu to Yovoyan and Sakpo—many of which had received eviction notices—say they have endured repeated meetings with government representatives and developer, without tangible outcomes.
However, for many residents in the host communities, the Badagry Deep Sea Port has so far remained more of a promise than a reality. A settler, Mr. Samson Dagbeyon from Gayingbo Sea Beach, recalled how initial signs of work had raised their hopes, only for those expectations to fade away.
According to Dagbeyon, contractors had once cleared parts of the road leading to the proposed site and mounted electric poles, activities that gave the impression that construction would soon commence. However, since then, he noted that no further development has taken place, leaving the community in a state of uncertainty.
“We have not seen anything since the first time they came to construct the road and mount electric poles. We thought they would start the development, but nothing has been done since then. We have been having several meetings with them saying they will settle us so that we can leave this place for the development of the port” Dagbeyon lamented.
In Sakpo, predominantly inhabited by Ghanaian migrants, residents expressed frustration over the abandoned construction base,once erected near Sultan Beach. Mrs Joy Poheto, a local weaver of “Aso Oke” textiles, who has lived in the community for over two decades, said the port’s promise has remained elusive.
Industry stakeholders who spoke with our correspondent are equally skeptical. A clearing agent under the aegis of the Seme chapter of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Alhaji Kehinde Ibrahim described the Badagry Deep Seaport as a political mirage.
“There is nothing like Badagry Seaport; they are just using that to deceive Badagry people. How do you think they will do a seaport in Badagry when we have Lekki, Apapa, and Tin Can ports that are still underutilized? This is just a ploy to gain political advantage,” Ibrahim said.
Supporting this position, Mr. Innocent Elum, a freight forwarder and Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders Nigeria (AREFFN), remarked that initial site activities have fizzled out. “That project is not one for tomorrow or the next day. It’s not something you will see in five or even 10 years. The momentum has died completely,” he said.
