The Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has commended Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, over the successful revalidation of the operating licence for the Ondo Deep Sea Port, describing the project as a legacy infrastructure capable of driving long-term prosperity for Ondo State, the South-West and Nigeria as a whole.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Afenifere’s National Organising Secretary, Abagun Kole Omololu, said the development represents a major milestone in regional economic advancement and further cements Ondo State’s emergence as a strategic maritime and industrial hub in Nigeria.
According to Omololu, the revalidation of the port’s licence has cleared administrative bottlenecks and provided the regulatory certainty required for the full-scale development and investor confidence in the project.
“This historic milestone represents a major stride in regional economic development and affirms Ondo State’s emergence as a critical maritime and industrial hub in Nigeria,” he said.
Boost to Investor Confidence, Logistics Efficiency
Afenifere noted that the achievement reflects purposeful governance, strategic foresight and institutional discipline, adding that it would further strengthen investor confidence in projects of both national and regional significance.
The group highlighted the strategic advantage of the Ondo Deep Sea Port, noting that its depth would enable it to accommodate very large vessels that cannot berth at existing Lagos ports. This, it said, would help decongest Nigeria’s busiest maritime corridor, improve cargo handling efficiency, reduce vessel turnaround time and significantly lower logistics costs.
“This positions Ondo State at the forefront of next-generation port infrastructure in Nigeria,” the statement added.
Regional Economic Impact
Beyond its benefits to Ondo State, Afenifere said the port would stimulate economic activity across the South-West geopolitical zone, driving industrial clustering, petrochemical expansion, agro-export processing and manufacturing value chains.
The group added that the project is expected to generate thousands of jobs, enhance skills development, promote technology transfer and boost internally generated revenue (IGR) for both state and federal governments.
At the regional level, Afenifere noted that the port would serve as a critical gateway within the ECOWAS trade ecosystem, supporting regional trade integration, trans-shipment services and West Africa’s participation in global maritime commerce.
Federal Alignment, Call for Stakeholder Collaboration
Afenifere also acknowledged the role of the Federal Government and the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy in aligning the project with national development priorities, particularly economic diversification under Nigeria’s blue economy framework.
Omololu commended Governor Aiyedatiwa for sustaining momentum on the project and called for continued collaboration among all stakeholders to ensure timely execution, operational excellence and maximum economic impact
Sub Zero ✔
Godwin Okafor is the Publisher & CEO of Naija247news Media Group LLC, an independent investigative news platform delivering accurate, data-driven reporting on Nigerian and global politics, economy, finance, and business. Founded in October 2010, Naija247news specializes in developmental journalism, providing timely insights and analysis to readers across Nigeria and the diaspora.
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