Construction of the Ogun Deep Sea Port and the accompanying Blue Marine Special Economic Zone is expected to begin in November 2026, Governor Dapo Abiodun has announced, days after Ogun State and global ports operator DP World signed agreements for the development of the project.
Abiodun disclosed the timeline while addressing All Progressives Congress stakeholders in Ijebu East and Ijebu North local government areas of Ogun State.
The project, valued at more than $7 billion, is planned for Ogun Waterside and is being developed in partnership with DP World. The governor said a groundbreaking ceremony would take place in November, immediately followed by construction.
He also projected that the port would be substantially completed within about two and a half years, marking a major step in a project that has remained on the drawing board for decades.
The development is expected to strengthen Ogun’s position in Nigeria’s maritime and logistics sector while creating an additional gateway for cargo moving through the country’s southwestern economic corridor.
The November construction timeline follows the signing of Memoranda of Understanding between the Ogun State Government and DP World MEA FZE in Paris on September 24.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu witnessed the signing and assured investors of the Federal Government’s commitment to regulatory clarity, policy stability and an environment capable of supporting long-term infrastructure investment.
The agreements cover two connected developments:
- Gateway Deep Sea Port
- Ogun State Blue Marine Special Economic Zone
The Presidency said the projects form part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s maritime economy and address infrastructure constraints affecting trade.
The proposed port is designed with a four-kilometre berth and an 18-metre draft, specifications that would allow it to handle larger vessels and potentially reduce pressure on existing Lagos port infrastructure.
The project therefore goes beyond the construction of a standalone seaport. It is being positioned as part of a broader logistics and industrial corridor linking maritime facilities with road infrastructure, manufacturing, energy projects and regional markets.
What the project is expected to deliver
The Ogun Deep Sea Port development is expected to:
- Expand Nigeria’s maritime handling capacity.
- Provide an alternative route for cargo serving southwestern Nigeria.
- Reduce congestion around existing Lagos ports.
- Support industrial and logistics investment in Ogun Waterside.
- Create employment and related business opportunities.
- Strengthen connections between the coastline and Nigeria’s inland markets.
The location of the proposed Ogun Deep Sea Port is central to its commercial prospects.
Ogun Waterside sits along the state’s coastline and has long been identified as an area with potential for maritime, industrial and energy development.
Abiodun said the port project had remained unrealised for more than three decades despite previous proposals, and his administration sought to revive it as part of a broader strategy for economic development.
The governor has also linked the port to other infrastructure and investment projects in the area, including the Ogun section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
The Federal Government has said the 28-kilometre Ogun section of the coastal highway is expected to provide an important transport connection for the proposed port and special economic zone.
That road connection is particularly important because a deep-sea port requires reliable evacuation routes to move containers and other cargo from the waterfront into major consumption and production centres.
The Ogun section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is expected to run close to the state’s coastline, providing a road link between the emerging maritime zone and other parts of the state and country.
Abiodun previously identified the lack of a reliable evacuation corridor as one of the obstacles to developing a major seaport in Ogun Waterside. He said the coastal road could help address that constraint.
President Tinubu also highlighted the highway’s relevance during the Paris signing ceremony.
According to the Presidency, the 700-kilometre coastal highway is intended to improve connections between the Ogun maritime zone, Lagos, the Nigerian hinterland and wider African markets.
The infrastructure around the proposed port could therefore determine how quickly the facility translates into commercial activity.
A port may increase cargo capacity, but its economic value also depends on efficient road connections, customs processes, storage facilities, rail or inland transport options, security and reliable industrial infrastructure.
The Ogun Deep Sea Port is part of a wider development agenda for Ogun Waterside, an area the state government has identified for maritime, energy and industrial investment.
The Federal Government said the proposed port and special economic zone could complement developments around the OK LNG project and a proposed Nigerian Navy operating base and dockyard.
Abiodun has also pointed to the area’s natural resources, including significant bitumen deposits along the Ogun-Ondo axis, as another potential source of economic activity.
The combination of a deep-sea port, coastal highway, industrial zone and energy-related investments could create an integrated economic corridor if the individual projects progress as planned.
The scale of the proposed investment has also generated expectations about employment. Reports following the Paris agreement said the projects are expected to attract more than $7 billion in initial investment and create over 50,000 direct jobs.
If delivered according to the announced timeline, the development could affect several areas of the Nigerian economy:
Maritime trade: Additional deep-water capacity could expand options for handling large vessels.
Logistics: Better connections between ports, roads and industrial facilities could reduce cargo movement bottlenecks.
Manufacturing: The special economic zone could attract companies seeking proximity to maritime infrastructure.
Employment: Construction and subsequent port and industrial operations could generate direct and indirect jobs.
Regional trade: Improved logistics infrastructure could strengthen connections between southwestern Nigeria and markets beyond the country.
The immediate milestone for the Ogun Deep Sea Port is now the planned November groundbreaking ceremony.
Abiodun’s announcement represents a transition from agreements and planning toward physical implementation. The governor said construction would begin immediately after the groundbreaking and that the facility should be substantially completed within approximately two and a half years.
However, the success of the project will depend on more than the commencement of construction.
Financing, construction delivery, supporting roads, regulatory approvals, port operations, cargo demand and private-sector participation will all influence whether the proposed economic benefits materialise.
For Ogun State, the project represents an opportunity to establish a significant maritime and industrial presence on Nigeria’s Atlantic coastline. For the wider country, its eventual impact will depend on whether the port can operate as part of an efficient logistics network rather than as an isolated infrastructure project.
The November groundbreaking will therefore provide the first major indication that the long-delayed Ogun Deep Sea Port has moved decisively from planning into execution.
