The Federal Government has issued a Certificate of Compliance for the proposed Bakassi Deep Seaport in Cross River State, marking a major project milestone.
The certificate came from the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, strengthening the project’s regulatory standing and investment outlook.
Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State received the approval in Abuja from the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola.
He described the development as a defining moment in the state’s economic transformation drive.
“This certificate moves the Bakassi Deep Seaport from vision to verifiable reality,” Otu said. “It signals confidence in Cross River State and Nigeria’s maritime future.”
The governor noted that the compliance approval followed the Federal Executive Council’s endorsement of the seaport as a Public/Private Partnership project.
He said the FEC decision sent a strong signal to investors about the project’s credibility and bankability.
Strategic Maritime Investment
The Bakassi Deep Seaport is expected to attract about $3.5 billion in private sector investment when fully developed.
State officials project the port will significantly boost shipping capacity, logistics efficiency and industrial growth.
Governor Otu said the project goes beyond cargo handling and port operations.
“This is about jobs, industrialisation and positioning Nigeria competitively within global trade routes,” he said.
He stressed that Cross River’s coastal location gives it strategic importance in Nigeria’s blue economy ambitions.
According to him, large-scale maritime infrastructure offers sustainable pathways for investment inflows and mass employment.
Federal Government Support
Minister Adegboyega Oyetola praised the Cross River State Government’s commitment and speed in advancing the project.
He described the Bakassi Deep Seaport as aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Among several similar initiatives nationwide, Bakassi shows strong promise of being realised first,” Oyetola said.
He assured that the Federal Government would continue to support the project through close intergovernmental collaboration.
Economic and Regional Impact
The Director-General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, Dr Jobson Ewalefoh, described the seaport as transformative.
He said the project would serve as a maritime gateway for the North-Central and North-East regions.
Ewalefoh added that it would function as a logistics hub for West and Central Africa.
He noted that the greenfield port design, industrial cluster and Free Trade Zone could create thousands of direct and indirect jobs.