In their capacity as shareholders in the development of Lekki Deep Sea Port, the Lagos State Government (LASG) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), have appointed representatives to the board of directors of Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise (LPLE), the special purpose vehicle for the project.
While the Lagos State Government appointed Mr. Emmanuel Olajide Adesoye and Mr. Olabode Kacheef Oyedele, the Managing Director of NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman will represent NPA on the board of directors.
Adesoye, who will serve as Chairman of the board of directors of LPLE, is a chartered accountant and proven administrator of international repute with over 28 years of experience in the private sector in the oil and gas Industry. Adesoye, who is the current Chairman of the board of directors of NPA, also serves as a director of other boards, including the Lagos State University College of Medicine.
Oyedele, the second appointee for LASG is a thoroughbred professional with a sound track record in both the public and private sectors. He rose through the ranks to become a Permanent Secretary of the Lagos Ministry of Agriculture & Cooperatives, and he has been running a very successful private business since his stint with government at the federal level.
Prior to her appointment as the Managing Director of NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman who is an activist and seasoned public servant, served as Chief of Staff to the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.
Speaking at the Annual General Meeting of LPLE at which the appointments were approved by the shareholders, the Acting Board Chairman, Chief Joseph Sanusi, an independent director appointed by Lekki Port Investment Holdings Inc (former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria), commended the efforts and roles of successive administrations in Lagos State towards the actualization of the Lekki Port Project.
In the same vein, he commended the management of NPA, both present and past, for their unwavering support, which he noted has contributed to the success of the project.He expressed optimism that the project, when fully completed, would eliminate the nagging issues in the Nigerian Maritime Sector.
Also speaking during the meeting, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Mr. Olalekan Akodu (who represented the Commissioner, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye), expressed happiness with the level of progress achieved so far on the project, and commended the management and shareholders for their resilience and diligence in making the development of the project, a reality.
He noted that the combined support from the Lagos State Government and the Nigerian Ports Authority has shown the high level of commitments, which both State and Federal Governments were providing to see the project materialize, and he urged all the stakeholders not to relent in their efforts.
Professor Abubakar, the Executive Director, Engineering & Technical Services, who represented the Managing Director of NPA at the meeting, noted that the current executive management of NPA was very committed to the success of the Lekki Port project.
In his own remarks, the Chairman of Lekki Free Zone Development Company& Lekki Worldwide Investment Limited, Mr. Biodun Dabiri noted that both the State and Federal Governments deserve to be commended for their commitment towards the success of the project stressing that its smooth delivery remains vital to the general prosperity of the state and Nigeria in general.