Transport minister receives final report on Ibom sea port

The Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar has received the final outline of business case for the Ibom Deep Sea Port in Akwa Ibom State. The report, which gives an outline of the strategic needs, technical options, financial due diligence and project implementation plan of the proposed Deep Sea Port, and which had earlier been certified by the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission, was delivered last week in Abuja. Continue..

 It was submitted by the Transactions Adviser of the project, Messrs Felak Concept Limited and the Project Technical Adviser, Messrs Maritime and Transport Business Solutions of the Netherlands. A source who spoke on the condition of anonymity said, “The Minister, while receiving it, expressed deep appreciation to President Goodluck Jonathan for the infrastructural development of the nation’s economy and to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State Godswill Akpabio for his unflinching commitment to the project”. Meanwhile, the Minister of Transport has urged the Nigerian Ports Authority to continue the administrative and technical support it is rendering to the project and to the Ministerial Project Development and Steering Committee, so as to ensure seamless coordination, even as he gave his assurances of prompt consideration of the Report by the Federal Executive Council. Earlier, the secretary of the Committee Mallam Dikko Bala stated that after a multi criteria analysis by the technical advisers, it was determined that Ibaka is suitable as a location for commercial trawling and transport terminal and for use by vessels that will require maximum seven metres draught, while the sea side is ideal for location of terminals that will handle vessels that will require minimum 13 metres draught. The Deep Sea Port would therefore be a multi terminal port, hence the name change from Ibaka to Ibom Deep Sea Port.  Present at the ceremony were the Permanent Secretary, represented by the Director Maritime Services, (D. M. S) Suleiman Nagogo, other directors of the Federal Ministry of Transport;, Acting DG of ICRC Engr. Chidi Izuwah, the Managing Director, Felak Concept Limited, Mrs. Aisha Sulaiman Achimugu, Mr.Wouter Van Nos, representing Marine and Transport Business Solutions of the Netherlands and Mr. C.A. Borha who represented the Nigerian Ports Authority.