President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said the proposed Gateway Deep Seaport in Ogun Waterside will help reduce congestion along the Lagos port corridor and ease pressure on the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports.
Tinubu made the remarks on Thursday, September 24, 2026, in Paris, France, while witnessing the signing of Memoranda of Understanding between the Ogun State Government and global ports and logistics operator DP World for the development of the Gateway Deep Seaport and the Ogun State Blue Marine Special Economic Zone.
According to the President, the proposed seaport will feature a four-kilometre berth and an 18-metre draft, allowing it to accommodate larger and deeper-draft vessels used in modern international commerce.
Tinubu said the additional maritime gateway could help reduce costs and delays for importers, exporters and consumers by providing an alternative route for cargo moving through the Lagos-Ogun corridor.
The project is part of a broader investment framework involving the proposed 10,000-hectare Ogun State Blue Marine Special Economic Zone. The agreements are expected to attract more than $7 billion in initial investment and, according to the Presidency, generate more than 50,000 direct jobs when fully developed.
Tinubu said the seaport would serve as critical infrastructure for the proposed economic zone, which is intended to support manufacturing, processing, logistics and exports. He said integrating the port with an industrial zone would enable Nigerian raw materials and imported inputs to be processed into finished products for domestic and international markets.
The President also linked the proposed development to the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, saying the 28-kilometre Ogun section of the highway would provide an important transport connection for the emerging maritime and industrial corridor.
He said the Federal Government would facilitate road, rail and power connections to the projects, strengthen investment security and address bureaucratic obstacles as the developments move from the agreement stage towards implementation.
The proposed Gateway Deep Seaport is expected to provide another maritime gateway for cargo serving Lagos, the Nigerian hinterland and wider African markets. Tinubu said the project would also support Nigeria’s efforts to take greater advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The signing ceremony was attended by Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola, Nigerian Ports Authority Managing Director Abubakar Dantsoho, DP World Group Chief Executive Officer Yuvraj Narayan and other officials and investment representatives.
While the agreements establish a framework for developing the port and economic zone, the Gateway Deep Seaport remains a proposed project. Its ability to deliver the projected reductions in congestion, logistics costs and delays will depend on subsequent implementation, infrastructure connections and completion of the planned facilities.
Watch the signing on Arise TV: