Amaechi Says ADC Government Would Revive Gelegele and Other Deep Seaport Projects
Rotimi Amaechi says an ADC administration would pursue Gelegele and other proposed deep seaports if elected in 2027.
African Democratic Congress vice-presidential candidate Rotimi Amaechi has said a government formed by his party would pursue the development of the proposed Gelegele Seaport in Edo State alongside other deep seaport projects previously considered by the Federal Government.
Amaechi made the commitment during an ADC stakeholders' meeting in Edo State after being asked whether the party would develop Gelegele to a standard comparable with the Lekki Deep Seaport. He said the project would be presented to the president for approval if the ADC wins the 2027 election.
The former Minister of Transportation also referred to proposed deep seaports in Bonny, Akwa Ibom and Warri. According to him, those projects received approval during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari but some did not move forward because sufficient financing was not secured. Amaechi said an initial investment of roughly $400 million to $500 million could be enough to begin construction, with additional expansion taking place later.
He described the planned Bonny facility as having an intended depth of 18 metres and said the proposed Akwa Ibom location had a natural depth of between 17 and 18 metres. He also said the Warri project was partly intended to support the movement of iron ore from northern Nigeria to the port area.
During the same discussion, Amaechi made claims about his role in the development of the Lekki Deep Seaport. He said he supervised the project through its construction period while serving as transportation minister and argued that the idea itself predated the Buhari administration, tracing its origin to the period of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Amaechi further alleged that President Bola Tinubu, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and others later received credit for the facility despite what he described as his own central role in delivering it. Those statements were Amaechi's account of the project's history and were not established independently in the source report.
His remarks combined a new campaign commitment on Gelegele with references to infrastructure projects considered during his time in government. The specific funding arrangements, implementation timetable and final design for any seaport projects under a future ADC administration were not detailed in the source.