Deep sea port, OgunLNG trigger fresh investor rush – Abiodun

File: Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has disclosed that the planned $7bn Gateway Deep Sea Port and the proposed $10bn Ogun Liquefied Natural Gas project are attracting fresh waves of investors to the state, positioning it for a new phase of industrial expansion and economic growth.

The governor said the strategic investments, alongside the proposed Ogun Blue Marine and Special Economic Zone and the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway being constructed by the Federal Government, were opening up unprecedented economic opportunities and generating growing interest among local and international investors.

Abiodun made this known on Tuesday in Ijebu-Ode during the town hall meeting on the 2027–2029 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and the 2027 Budget, organised by the Ministry of Budget and Planning.

He described the planned Deep Sea Port as a defining legacy project of his administration, noting that the agreements recently signed in Paris with DP World would attract approximately $7bn in private-sector investment into Ogun State.

According to him, the agreements cover the development of the Gateway Deep Sea Port and the Ogun Blue Marine and Special Economic Zone, which are expected to transform the state’s maritime, logistics, manufacturing and industrial landscape.

“In September, I had the privilege of travelling to Paris to sign a landmark agreement that will be the biggest legacy of my administration, and that agreement is for the construction of the Ogun Deep Sea Port.

“That day, we signed two agreements: one for the Deep Sea Port and the other for the Ogun Blue Marine and Special Processing Zone. These combined agreements translate to an investment of about $7bn of private capital, with no government investment,” he said.

The governor added that the proposed $10bn OgunLNG project, being developed with the involvement of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, would further strengthen the state’s investment prospects, while the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway would enhance connectivity and open up new economic corridors.

He said the convergence of these major projects had significantly increased investors’ interest in Ogun, with the state witnessing growing pressure from prospective investors seeking to establish businesses and take advantage of the emerging opportunities.

Abiodun noted that his administration’s investment in infrastructure, human capital development and the provision of an enabling business environment since 2019 had laid the foundation for the state’s growing economic profile.

Reviewing his administration’s achievements, the governor disclosed that over 1,700 kilometres of roads had been constructed or rehabilitated across the state, with substantial interventions also undertaken in healthcare, education, agriculture, electricity and security.

He listed the Gateway Medical Centre of Excellence, the rehabilitation of more than 1,600 public schools, the recruitment of over 6,000 teachers and support for thousands of farmers among the major interventions undertaken by his administration.

On electricity, Abiodun disclosed that power plants had been installed in Abeokuta, while similar facilities would be established in Ijebu-Ode and Remo to improve electricity supply, stimulate commercial activities and support industrial development across the state.

He specifically highlighted the administration’s interventions in Ijebu Division, including the reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads in Oru, Awa, Ilaporu, Ago-Iwoye, Eruwon and Atan, among other communities.

In Ijebu-Ode, he said, the government had constructed 26 roads, reflecting its commitment to improving connectivity and opening up communities to economic opportunities.