James Sowole in Abeokuta
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has announced that the 28-kilometre stretch of the federal government’s 700-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway traversing Ogun State will be completed before the end of 2026, saying the landmark project has given a major boost to the proposed Ogun Deep Sea Port and other strategic investments along the state’s coastline.
The governor, who spoke while inaugurating the reconstructed Gao-Ibiade Road in the Ogun Waterside Local Government Area, said the coastal highway would unlock the economic potential of Ogun Waterside by providing the critical infrastructure needed to drive industrialisation, maritime development, and large-scale investments.
Abiodun commended President Bola Tinubu for initiating the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, describing it as a bold and visionary national infrastructure project that would not only open up enormous economic opportunities for Ogun State but also stimulate trade, investment, tourism, and regional connectivity across Nigeria.
He disclosed that he had received fresh assurances from officials handling the project that the 28-kilometer Ogun section of the highway would be completed before the end of the year.
The governor explained that his administration deliberately worked to secure an alignment that would support the proposed Ogun Deep Sea Port, ensuring that the highway runs between three and five kilometers from the state’s coastline.
According to him, the absence of an efficient evacuation corridor had remained the biggest obstacle to the development of the Deep Sea Port, as the only access route in the past was the Sagamu-Benin Expressway, located about 35 kilometres from the coast.
“Today, with the coastal road coming just a few kilometres from the coastline, everybody now wants to build a port in Ogun Waterside,” he said.
Abiodun noted that the improved road connectivity has renewed investor confidence in the coastal corridor, making Ogun Waterside an attractive destination for major maritime and industrial projects.
He further disclosed that discussions with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) have advanced plans to revive the long-abandoned Olokola Liquefied Natural Gas (OKLNG) project. At the same time, the corporation has intensified oil exploration activities to establish commercial reserves in the area.
According to the governor, the convergence of the coastal highway, the proposed Deep Sea Port, oil exploration, and the revived OKLNG project will transform Ogun Waterside into one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing economic corridors, creating thousands of direct and indirect jobs while boosting the state’s revenue base.
“The Ogun State Deep Sea Port will become a reality in Ogun Waterside. That Deep Sea Port will be the best in Sub-Saharan Africa. There will be no port like it anywhere in Nigeria,” the governor assured.
He also revealed plans to establish a naval base and dockyard within the proposed port complex to strengthen maritime security and support commercial shipping activities.
Reflecting on the history of Ogun Waterside, Abiodun lamented decades of neglect despite its enormous economic potential, recalling that when he first visited the area in the 1990s, it lacked motorable roads, reliable telecommunications, and other basic infrastructure.
He said his administration is determined to reverse that narrative through sustained investments in roads and critical infrastructure to prepare the local government for what he described as an imminent socio-economic transformation.
