Chairman of the Benin Port Project, Greg Ogbeifun, has assured Edo State indigenes undergoing the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) scholarship scheme that they will be engaged as pioneer staff of the Benin Port.
Ogbeifun disclosed this recently, saying the 10 indigenes, who are on fully funded scholarships in Greece and India by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), are making progress in their studies on maritime-related courses.
According to him, a major advantage of the port project was opportunity it presented to build the local capacity of youths to participate actively in the maritime sector.
He said the Edo State government and the Federal Government, through the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), were jointly executing the port project.
Ogbeifun said the Minister of Transportation, Muazu Sambo, had set up the project steering committee and project delivery team to ensuring the realisation of the port under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement, as already approved by the Federal Government through the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICPC).
He noted that the port aims to contribute to the development of both the maritime and agricultural sectors, as well as creating massive employment opportunities.
Ogbeifun said the project site is located at the confluence of Ose River and Benin River, making it the closest port to the sea after the ports of Lagos, at only 32km from the coastline.
