A TO Z OF THE BENIN RIVER PORT AND ACCESS ROAD

The development of the Benin River Port and Access Road Project will attract over $500 million Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) between 2020 and 2023. The project which is rated as highly economically viable will drive import and export, create tens of thousands of of jobs and catalyse an industrial revolution in Edo State as well as  increase spontaneously the value of landed properties especially in Benin City and many parts of Edo State.

The project is in three scopes:

1. 49.45km Dual Carriage access road from Port Location on the Benin River cutting across Gelegele town, Ekenhua Road into Ikpoba Okha communities to Sapele Road Intersection (By Pass)

2. A dual RoRo and General Cargo Multipurlose Port

3. General Dredging and sweeping of the 40km Benin River Channel from approximate Port location to the Atlantic Ocean at the Jakpa Axis.

Job creation potentials of the project is streamlined into ship channelling, dry dock services, container repair facilities, freight forwarding, Internal Container Dry Ports and Freight Station Operations, Logistics and distribution as well create opportunities in inland water freight and passenger transportation, passenger cruise facility, hotel and hospitality industries and tourism. Also human capital development opportunities in Marine Navigation and Engineering Careers, Marine Environment and Hydrographic Surveys and other businesses like insurance, banking, law etc will flourish with the commencement of Port activities.

HISTORY OF THE PORT

There have been several attempts for Edo/Bendel State to own a Port.The first was in Shagari's administration in the early 80s where a Port was planned in Gelegele town to boost international and West African regional trades.  Rather that a Port,  a Jetty was built in Gelegele town. The Project eventually could not serve it's purpose.

Second attempt was in the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan where NDDc sought the services of a consultant Krys Epas to for Feasibility study and design of a Port at Gelegele.

That endeavor stopped at recommendation by Kris Epas Consult which advised the Port should be sited at Gelegele environ.

The recommendation was later put behind as it would have cost extra $200 million for dredging of the Osse River and Escravos River Channels and billions more annual sweeping cost.

Lastly was in 2016 when His Excellency Governor Godwin Obaseki came into office. He assembled a group of maritime and engineering professionals to come up with a recommendation for the development of a port.

The technical committee soon came up with a viable recommendation which advised among other things that the Port should be sited on the Benin River 27 km away from Gelegele town. It also advised that the Port Project should be designed with economic viability and sustainability as its guiding points.

The new location which is just 27km from the Atlantic Ocean on the Jakpa  Axis will save a cost of  about $200 million Dredging cost and billions of naira annual sweeping cost.

The recommendation was rated as highly economically viable.

Since the Port was now to be sited on the Benin River and no longer in Gelegele, the name automatically changed from the Gelegele Seaport to the Benin River Port and Access Road Project.

His Excellency upon receiving the recommendation then engaged and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China Harbour Engineering Company Limited, a Frontline global Port Construction Company presently engaged in the development of Lekki Deep Sea Port.

Since then many Project items have been completed that will ensure the success of the development of the Port.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES COMMENCED AND  COMPLETED

1. Technical Report on the Port Project

2. Memorandum of Understanding with China Harbour Engineering Company Limited

3. Soil Test (Geotechnical Investigation) for the project area which comprises of the 74km long Escravos River Channel, 27 km long Benin River Channel and 49.45km long access road

4. Topographic Survey for the Port areas which gave an idea of the best exact location for the Port to be sited

5. Bathymetric Testing for the 74km long Escravos River Channel from Benin River, Nana Creek to the Atlantic Ocean on Ecravos Axis and 27km long Benin River from Young Town to the Jakpa Axis on the Atlantic Ocean. The purpose of bathymetric testing is to ascertain the exact width length and depth of both River Channels.

6. Conclusion of Feasibility Study for the Project.

7. Design of the Access Road, Port and Dredging for the Project.

The Port is designed to be a multiple purpose RoRo and General Cargo Port with capacity to relieve Lagos State 30% of its cargo throughput.

8. Signing of Contract between Contract between Edo State Government and China Harbour Engineering Company Limited for the construction of the project.

9. Environmental/Social Impact Assessment for the Project which is over 70% completed. Under the ESIA the following activities have been done, viz
- Preparation of maps for the entire project areas showing all the communities to be affected (for enumeration)

- Preparation of field sampling maps for all the required parameters

- Preparation of Right-of-way maps for all the proposed access roads to facilitate ease of enumeration

- Preparation of contour maps for the entire project area to aid road design

- Completion of Project Registration Form and payment of Registration form to the Federal Ministry of Environment.

- Preparation of Terms of Reference for the Study

- Preparation of scoping and screening report for the project

- Forward the TOR with the receipt to the Federal Ministry Of Environment (Proponent)

- Site Verification and visitation by the Federal Ministry of Environment

- Stakeholders Workshop involving all the affected communities to review the Terms of Reference, Scoping Report as contained in the resettlement action plan (RAP) with Federal Ministry of Environment and Edo State Ministry of Environment in attendance

- Reconnaissance Survey to reconcile the Sampling Map by physical verification

WHAT ITEMS ARE REMAINING?

Visit Host Communities to obtain Freedom to Operate (FTO) Certificate

Enumeration affected persons, farms, fish ponds, buildings and other physical structures to be affected by the Project

Compensation and ressettlment of all affected by the project

FINAL STAGE:

The final stage of the project is the construction stage which is scheduled to commence in 2020 and delivered in 2022.

The time for the Construction is 3 years only.

PROJECT SPONSOR

The Project is to be sponsored by International Finance Corporation, Edo State Government and Federal Government of Nigeria with the International Finance agency responsible for majority of the funds.

Compiled By:

Engr. Igbinedion Lucky Prince COREN, MBA, ACIS
Senior Special Assistant To The Governor Of Edo State