Bayo Akomolafe 
Akwa Ibom State government is making a new move to partner China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) on the construction of $2.02 billion Ibom Deepsea Port project. The state government explained during the presentation of its 2022 budgetary outlay of N582.115 billion that it would commence the construction of Ibom Deep Seaport and development of the Ibom Industrial City to complement its efforts in the creation of enduring structures for 300,000 jobs, wealth creation and increased Internally Generate Revenue (IGR).
The green field project, which is expected to become the Eastern gateway of Nigeria, is expected to serve as a trans-shipment port for the West and Central African regions and handle container, break bulk, dry bulk and liquid cargo. When completed, the port would have the capacity to accommodate up to 13 new Panamax-class container vessels and two large feeder vessels.
To actualise the project, Governor Udom Emmanuel stressed the need to ensure immediate commencement of the project when he hosted a delegation from CHEC led by its Chairman, Mr. Martin Chen, who declared interest in working with the state government to actualise the dream of having the deep Seaport become a reality. C hen explained that CHEC was the largest port building firm in the world, which had facilitated the construction of ports in different parts of the world, including the Lekki Deep Seaport, which is expected to be completed by September, 2022. He identified the peaceful nature of Akwa Ibom State as being a factor that fascinated the company into deciding to partner government for the construction of the seaport.
The chairman expressed the company’s desire to work with the state government to deliver on the project. Meanwhile, the port handling capacity is expected to grow from 1.2 million Twenty- Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in 2022 to four million TEUs in 2040. Phase one of the Ibom Deep Seaport project would involve development over approximately 505ha of land, which also includes dug-out basin, while new 20kilometre- long and 450metre-wide channel approach would be built to allow two-way traffic for vessels.
It would be recalled that the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Ekerete Udoh, had explained that the deep seaport would be constructed on a public private partnership (PPP) model. Okon said that the first phase for the port construction would cost $2.016 billion, which the private sector would take 60 per cent and the public sector 40 per cent, noting that the state government was projecting between 3,000 and 5,000 companies to provide services and customers at the port.
In 2021, the state government dispatched a delegation of members of the Ibom Deep Seaport committee to Seoul, South Korea, for expertise to help offer inputs for the development of the seaport. The state delegation was led by the country’s Ambassador to South Korea, Ambassador Ali Magashi; other members were the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem, Commissioner for Economic Development and Ibom Deep Seaport, Mr Akan Okon and Chairman of the Implementation Technical Committee, Mrs Mfon Usoro.
