It has been gathered that the construction of the Ibom Deep Seaport (IDSP) would soon.
This is due to the advertisement of the Request for Qualification (RFQ) from reputable private sector port operators in partnership with the Akwa Ibom State Government and the Federal Government.
It should be noted that the RFQ is a major step critical towards the implementation of the IDSP project, apparently one of the most promising public-private partnership (PPP) initiatives in Africai, because of the several multiplier effects it will create in Nigeria and other African nations, Vanguard reports.
The statement reads: “The Akwa Ibom State Government, as part of its industrialisation plans, is very keen on implementing the Ibom Deep Seaport project as part of the Ibom Industrial City development through a PPP arrangement. The deep seaport, although a part of the industrial city, is treated as a separate project. The Ibom Deep Seaport will be owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Nigeria Ports Authority in partnership with Akwa Ibom State Government and private investors.
“On the other hand, the Ibom Industrial City project will be solely owned by Akwa Ibom State Government. Both projects will utilise the state’s unique location to promote industrialisation in the region by developing a modern state-of-the art industrial city which will include a deep sea port.”
It indicated that the Ibom Deep Sea port project is one the Federal Ministry of Transportation’s initiative to augment port capacity in Nigeria and aligned with the aggressive industrialisation project being carried out by the Akwa Ibom State Government.
“The Ibom Deep Seaport will occupy 2,565 hectares of land area of the 14,517 hectares available for the industrial city project. The approximate location of the project site scaled from the British Admiralty Chart No. 1387 is Latitude 04 32’ 35” N: Longitude 080 14’ 07” E. and UTM coordinates 415168 m E; 502,199 m N (UTM Zone 32N).
It was observed that the seaport will form part of an integrated industrial city to help foster economic development of the country, state, as well as drive economic empowerment of the citizens.
Furthermore, industries that will be developed in the industrial city include agriculture, petro-chemicals, marine-related industries, auto assembly plants, power plants, as well as real estate developments etc.
