Afenifere commends Aiyedatiwa on revalidation of Ondo Deep Sea Port licence

…Describes project as legacy infrastructure for regional and national prosperity

By Dayo Johnson, Akure

The Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has commended Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, over the successful revalidation of the operating licence for the Ondo Deep Sea Port, describing the project as a legacy infrastructure capable of delivering long-term prosperity to the state, the South-West and Nigeria at large.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Afenifere’s National Organising Secretary, Abagun Kole Omololu, said the development marks a significant milestone in regional economic growth and underscores Ondo State’s rising profile as a major maritime and industrial hub in the country.

According to him, the revalidation of the licence has removed administrative bottlenecks and provided the legal and regulatory certainty required for the full-scale development of the port.

“This historic milestone represents a major stride in regional economic development and affirms Ondo State’s emergence as a critical maritime and industrial hub in Nigeria,” Omololu said.

Afenifere noted that the achievement reflects purposeful governance, strategic foresight and institutional discipline, adding that it would further strengthen investor confidence in projects of national and regional importance.

The group highlighted the strategic advantage of the Ondo Deep Sea Port, noting that its depth would enable it to accommodate very large vessels that are unable to berth at existing Lagos ports. This, it said, would help decongest Nigeria’s busiest maritime corridor, improve cargo handling efficiency, reduce turnaround time and lower logistics costs.

“This positions Ondo State at the forefront of next-generation port infrastructure in the country,” the statement added.

Beyond benefits to Ondo State, Afenifere said the port would stimulate economic activities across the South-West through industrial clustering, petrochemical expansion, agro-export processing and manufacturing value chains. It added that the project would generate employment, enhance skills development, promote technology transfer and boost internally generated revenue for both state and federal governments.

At the regional level, the group said the port would serve as a critical gateway within the ECOWAS trade ecosystem, supporting trade integration, trans-shipment services and West Africa’s participation in global maritime commerce.

Afenifere also acknowledged the role of the Federal Government and the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy in aligning the project with national development priorities, particularly economic diversification through the blue economy framework.

Omololu commended Governor Aiyedatiwa for sustaining momentum on the project and called for continued collaboration among all stakeholders to ensure timely execution and operational excellence.

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