Former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi has claimed responsibility for completing the Lekki Deep Seaport, accusing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of taking credit for the project during its commissioning. Amaechi made the allegation on Thursday at an African Democratic Congress (ADC) stakeholders’ meeting in Edo State while discussing plans for the proposed Gelegele Seaport.
Key Highlights
- Rotimi Amaechi claims he supervised the Lekki Deep Seaport project from start to finish.
- He accuses Tinubu and Sanwo-Olu of taking credit during the port’s commissioning.
- Amaechi says former President Muhammadu Buhari approved the project under his administration.
- The Lekki port project involved private investors, Lagos State and the Federal Government.
- Amaechi questions the economic justification for developing additional seaports in Nigeria.
- He criticises the proposed Gateway Deep Seaport in Ogun State.
- The Lekki Deep Seaport was commissioned in January 2023 by former President Buhari.
Amaechi Accuses Tinubu, Sanwo-Olu of Taking Credit for Lekki Port
Speaking at the ADC stakeholders’ meeting, Amaechi said he had completed the Lekki Deep Seaport project before leaving the Ministry of Transportation in 2022 to pursue the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket.
“I built Lekki Deep Seaport from scratch to finish. I finished it completely, but I had resigned to contest for the office of the president, that’s why Sanwo-Olu got Buhari to come and commission it,” Amaechi said.
He further accused Sanwo-Olu and Tinubu of claiming credit for the project despite, according to him, not having been involved in its development from the beginning.
“And when they were commissioning, Sanwo-Olu and others, including Tinubu, were claiming that they built it. None of them visited it from scratch,” he added.
Amaechi also acknowledged the role of former President Muhammadu Buhari, saying his administration approved the construction of the port, although the idea predated Buhari’s presidency.
“Buhari approved the construction of that seaport, but it was essentially an Obasanjo’s idea, even though it was built by Buhari,” he said.
Lekki Deep Seaport Project Involved Multiple Stakeholders
The Lekki Deep Seaport project involved several stakeholders across different administrations, including the Lagos State Government, the Federal Government and private investors.
Lagos State had promoted plans for a deep seaport in Lekki before Amaechi became transportation minister. A concession agreement for the project was executed in December 2018 under the Buhari administration, when Amaechi was overseeing the federal transportation portfolio.
The port, estimated to have cost about $1.5 billion, was developed with the involvement of China Harbour Engineering Company and the Tolaram Group, with financing that included the China Development Bank.
Under the ownership structure described in reports, private investors held the majority equity stake, Lagos State held approximately 20 per cent, while the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Ports Authority, held about five per cent.
The project’s development therefore involved public-sector approvals, private investment and state-level participation, making it difficult to attribute the entire undertaking to one individual.
Amaechi’s remarks emphasised his role in supervising the federal government’s involvement and overseeing the project during his tenure. However, his claim that he built the port from start to finish has not, in the remarks reported, addressed the contributions of the other stakeholders.
Amaechi Questions Need for More Seaports in Nigeria
At the same meeting, Amaechi extended his criticism to the proposed Gateway Deep Seaport in Ogun State, which is linked to a reported investment package of more than $7 billion involving DP World and a marine economic zone.
Questioning the economic rationale for developing another major port, the former minister argued that Nigeria was not producing enough goods to justify the expansion of its seaport infrastructure.
Amaechi also accused Tinubu of acting against the interests of the people of Ogun State, saying the proposed project was driven by financial interests rather than the needs of local residents.
However, supporters of the Ogun port project have presented it as an infrastructure investment intended to ease congestion at Lagos ports, particularly Apapa and Tin Can Island, while reducing logistics costs.
The disagreement highlights competing views over Nigeria’s port development strategy, including whether additional facilities would stimulate economic activity and improve cargo movement or create capacity beyond current demand.
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Lekki Port Commissioned Under Buhari in January 2023
The Lekki Deep Seaport was commissioned in January 2023 by former President Buhari, with Sanwo-Olu and other political figures in attendance.
At the time, Tinubu was the APC presidential candidate and a former Lagos State governor, rather than Nigeria’s sitting president.
Amaechi had left the transportation ministry in 2022 to contest the APC presidential ticket, meaning he was no longer in office when the port was commissioned.
Neither the Presidency nor Sanwo-Olu’s office had issued a direct response to Amaechi’s latest allegations in the reports of the speech.
The controversy has renewed debate over political credit for major infrastructure projects in Nigeria, particularly those developed over several years through partnerships involving federal and state governments, private investors and successive administrations.
Conclusion
Amaechi’s claim that he completed the Lekki Deep Seaport has reopened questions about who deserves credit for major infrastructure projects that span multiple administrations.
While he maintains that he supervised the project through completion, the port’s development involved a wider network of government institutions, private investors and financing partners. The dispute also places renewed attention on the proposed Gateway Deep Seaport and the economic case for expanding Nigeria’s maritime infrastructure.
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