Edo, FG Progress On Benin Port Project, Issue Request For Proposal To Bidders

By Osariemen Idiaghe

The Chairman of the Benin Port Project, Engr. Greg Ogbeifun working with the Project Transaction Advisers, CPCS, has disclosed that the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the port project has been issued to bidders by the Transaction Adviser, CPCS.

In a statement, Ogbeifun reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to the development of the port project, which is expected to bring about significant economic benefits to the state and the country.

The Benin Port is among the legacy projects of the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration to drive industrial and economic growth in Edo. The port, upon completion, will boost export earnings, create employment opportunities, expand the state’s economic value chain, and open up new business opportunities in the state.

It is expected to be a unique agro-based multipurpose port in Nigeria, encompassing a Smart Port Community complex with sustainable renewable energy for the promotion of green emissions and protection of the environment, and ensuring massive opportunities for host communities and beyond.

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According to Ogbeifun, “The Edo State Government, in collaboration with the Federal Government, has continued to take significant steps towards the realization of the Benin Port project with the latest being the issuance of the Request for Proposal (RFP) to bidders for the development of the project.

“This is in addition to other critical steps that have been undertaken to set actions in motion to accelerate the realization of the project, including the completion Request for Qualification (RFQ) evaluation meeting and the clearance of the Outline Business Case (OBC) by Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC).”

Reassuring the government’s commitment to ensuring the timely realization of the project in line with international best practices and standards, Ogbeifun said the state and federal governments had set up the Project Steering Committee (PSC) and Project Delivery Team (PDT) to ensure the realization of the Benin Port Project under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

He explained that the Project Steering Committee and PDT comprise representatives from the Federal Ministry of Transportation (FMOT), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Federal Ministry of Justice (FMOJ), Federal Ministry of Finance (FMOF), Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Edo State Government (EDSG), and the Transaction Adviser (CPCS Transcom, Canada).