The Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, on has stated that the proposed Port Ondo will go a long way to decongest the Apapa Port in Lagos

He called on the federal government to look into the establishment of the Deep Sea Port in the state.

He spoke at the South-West Export Enlightenment and Engagement Forum held in the state capital, with the theme: “Maximizing Export Potentials In The South-West Region For Economic Growth”.

Akeredolu, who said Ondo State is strategically positioned, noted that goods are moved through the Sunshine state to the Southeast, South south, Northwest and North central.

Governor Akeredolu stressed that investors have already shown interest in developing the Port, saying the state has the deepest draught in West Africa.

“Everything going to southeast or South-South and the North pass through Ondo state. All these activities will make us to advise the federal government on the importance of Port Ondo.

“Apapa will be decongested. We can boast of the deepest draught in west Africa. We are ready and we have done our work and people have shown interest. It is a pity we have to go through a lot of protocols including the port declaration,” the Governor said.

Akeredolu, who also highlighted his administration’s efforts on agriculture development, disclosed that Governors in the Southwest are steadily working together on the sector through the Southwest Agric Company (SWAgCo).

Akeredolu said SWAgCo is a registered company under the Oodua conglomerate which was created for effective exploration of agricultural resources in the region.

The governor said the Akure airport which was originally designed as a cargo airport should be given due attention so that it can serve its purpose.

“The airport in Akure is so busy now but it is not serving the purpose for which it was established. The Akure airport was established as a cargo airport. We have said it should have a refrigerated area where people can refrigerate their goods before exporting them,” he said.

While speaking on the efforts of his administration in improving Cocoa production, the Governor said: “In Ondo state, we have had some transformation since we got in. Ondo is the leading exporter of cocoa in Nigeria. It is an unfortunate development that we are not the leading producer in West Africa.”
Source: This Day