By Lukman Olabiyi
Ten years after it was conceived, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and host communities of the proposed Badagry Deep Sea Port yesterday reached consensus on modality for kick off the project. The concerned parties on the project reached consensus for way forward at a stakeholders meeting and community engagement on Badagry Deep Seaport Project held at the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) Auditorium in Topo, Badagry.
Reacting to the outcry of the host communities over alleged neglect and delay of the project birthed 10 years ago, Sanwo-Olu disclosed that construction work would start on the Badagry seaport in June if a ratification can be gotten from the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in Abuja by April.
He described the proposed project as a multi-level opportunity for progress and development. “We want to deliberately push development to this axis”, he said.
The governor also reiterated the government’s readiness to compensate residents for economic losses on buildings, ancestral lands, farms and sites, even as he expressed confidence that the deliberations would help to fashion out reasons to forge ahead with the project.
“We need to go to Abuja to get a re-ratification because it is NPA that owns the license for a port. So, we need to get a ratification from Abuja. That process has started and we are praying that before the end of April, we will get that ratification.