Tinubu to flag off $3.5bn Bakassi deep seaport project – Cross River govt

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to perform the groundbreaking ceremony for the Bakassi Deep Seaport in Cross River State, the state government has disclosed, in what it described as a major milestone in the long-awaited project.

The development signals a fresh phase in the implementation of the multibillion-dollar seaport project, which the Federal Executive Council approved in December 2025 with an initial investment projection of $3.5 billion.

The Commissioner for Information, Pastor Ekpenyong Cobham, disclosed this on Tuesday during an interactive session with journalists at the Ernest Etim Bassey Press Centre, Calabar.

Cobham said the project had moved beyond years of conceptualisation, with the administration of Governor Bassey Otu completing critical technical studies and securing the necessary federal-level support for its implementation.

He said arrangements for the groundbreaking, to be performed by President Tinubu, were currently being rescheduled at the federal level.

The Commissioner described the development as evidence that the Otu administration had moved the project “from idealism to actuality,” stressing that the state government was determined to ensure that the seaport became a reality.

The project has undergone comprehensive hydrographic, geophysical and geotechnical studies, which provide critical data for the engineering design, dredging, navigation and construction of the proposed port. The state government had earlier said the technical report was instrumental in advancing the project.

The Bakassi Deep Seaport is being developed as a public-private partnership project and is expected to significantly expand Nigeria’s maritime and logistics capacity, attract private investment and strengthen Cross River’s position as a major gateway to regional and international trade. The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission lists the project as a federal-state PPP initiative.

The project is also expected to be integrated with wider transport infrastructure, including the proposed Calabar-Ogoja-Gakem superhighway, to create a logistics corridor connecting the port to markets beyond Cross River. The state’s PPP project portal puts the value of the integrated project at $3.5 billion.

Cobham said the development represented a significant departure from the past, when the seaport remained largely at the planning stage, adding that the current administration had taken concrete steps towards its actualisation.

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He also disclosed that Cross River was making progress in its bid to regain recognition as an oil-producing state, saying the state had re-engaged relevant federal authorities and submitted hydrographic and technical evidence in support of its claim.

According to him, the objective is to restore what the state considers its fiscal rights and derivation benefits associated with oil production.

The Commissioner also announced plans to strengthen government-media relations through regular briefings and guided tours of major government projects across the state.

He said the initiative would enable journalists to independently verify government claims and provide the public with factual information on projects and policies of the administration.