•As Nigerian Navy Holdings signs MoU with Akewa Global Services on development of port
Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
The Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) said yesterday it secured $400 million facility from the Africa Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and other multilateral institutions for infrastructure development in ports including Burutu Port, in Delta State, among other projects.
The bank made the disclosure as the Nigerian Navy Holdings Ltd and and Akewa Global Services Ltd signed a memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the management and development of infrastructure at the port.
Speaking at the signing ceremony at the Naval Headquarters in Abuja, the Managing Director of the bank, Alhaji Abubakar Bello, said the bank, in a renewed determination to ensure the success of the project, engaged multilateral institutions which culminated in the signing of an MoU with Afreximbank.
“We engaged multinational institutions and I want to tell the consortium members that we have signed an MoU with Afrexim bank for $400m, which Burutu port is part of them.
In his remarks, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, said the MoU on the Burutu Port, which was abandoned by the colonialists in the 1920s was a dream come true.
“The project is a Nigerian project. I am happy to be part of history. It’s divine that we are doing this today. The dream is a dream of 18 years. It’s divine. God wants it to happen and it will happen. Nobody wants to work but everyone wants to harvest.
I am happy to be part of history. It’s for our people, not for individual purposes”, he said.
Earlier, in his remarks, the Chairman, Akewa Global Services, Chief Kenneth Donye, said the Burutu Dockyard, which was built by colonial masters in early 20th century and played a very crucial role to the Niger Delta Coast in the lucrative inland waterway transportation that existed up to the late sixties when inland waterways transportation declined.
He said the partnership with the Navy was to revive the dock by upgrading and modernising the facilities to handle modern maritime activities.
