Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has announced that construction of the proposed $7 billion-plus Gateway Deep Sea Port and Ogun State Blue Marine Special Economic Zone will begin in November 2026.
The governor disclosed this while meeting with All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders in Ijebu East and Ijebu North Local Government Areas.
His announcement came shortly after the Ogun State Government signed Memoranda of Understanding with DP World in Paris, France, for the development of the deep seaport and adjoining special economic zone. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu witnessed the signing.
Abiodun said the project would be formally launched with a groundbreaking ceremony in November, after which construction would commence.
He projected that the port would be substantially completed within about two and a half years.
“By November, we will perform the groundbreaking and the construction will start immediately. In two and a half years, that port will almost be completed 100 per cent,” the governor said.
The Gateway Deep Sea Port is planned for Ogun Waterside and is being developed alongside the Ogun State Blue Marine Special Economic Zone as part of a broader maritime and industrial development strategy.
The Presidency said the proposed port will have a four-kilometre berth and an 18-metre draft, allowing it to handle larger vessels while helping to ease pressure on the Lagos port corridor, including Apapa and Tin Can Island ports.
The Blue Marine Special Economic Zone is planned across about 10,000 hectares and is intended to support manufacturing, logistics, processing and export-oriented activities.
The Federal Government said the projects are expected to attract more than $7 billion in initial investment and create over 50,000 direct jobs when fully developed.
Abiodun described the development as an opportunity to unlock Ogun’s maritime potential and attract additional investment into the state.
He said the deep seaport had remained largely unrealised for more than three decades despite the economic opportunities associated with it.
According to the governor, his administration’s efforts to revive the project were driven by the need to strengthen infrastructure, attract investment and expand economic activity in Ogun.
“Governance is about vision and implementation,” Abiodun said.
He added that the project would help position Ogun as a major maritime destination, saying the state aspired to become a key marine hub for West Africa.
Abiodun thanked President Tinubu for supporting the project and for witnessing the MoU signing in Paris.
The governor also pointed to other infrastructure projects that he said would strengthen connectivity to Ogun East, including the rehabilitation of the Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode-Ore Road and the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
The Presidency has similarly identified the Ogun section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as an important link to the proposed port and industrial zone.
Beyond the port, Abiodun highlighted the natural resources available in Ogun East, particularly the bitumen deposits stretching from Ijebu East towards Ondo State.
He also referenced crude oil resources in parts of the state, including Odogbolu, and said his administration would continue exploring ways to use the state’s natural resources to drive economic development.
Abiodun speaks on 2027 elections
The governor also used the meeting to appeal to APC members to remain united ahead of the 2027 elections.
He commended party members who had remained committed despite the outcome of recent primaries, particularly those who failed to secure the party’s tickets.
Abiodun called on party leaders to pursue reconciliation and work towards bringing aggrieved members back into the party.
He further urged APC supporters in Ogun East to back the party’s candidates, saying he would use his experience and contacts to attract additional development projects to the senatorial district.
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The governor asked party members to intensify mobilisation ahead of the elections, with the stated objective of securing victories for APC candidates across the presidential, National Assembly, state assembly and other levels.
APC State Chairman, Chief Yemi Sanusi, highlighted what he described as the administration’s achievements over the past seven years and said Ogun East needed effective representation capable of working with the Federal Government to attract further development.
Also speaking, the APC Campaign Director-General, Senator Lekan Mustapha, described Ogun East as an area with substantial natural resources and urged party members to remain united and support the party’s candidates.