A Former French Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari expressed strong interest from French investors in Ogun State’s transport infrastructure, with a particular focus on the dry port and railway system.
Other areas of interest for the investors, according to Mr. Jean-Baptiste, are the Dry Port, the Olokola Sea Port, and the railway system.
Fielding questions from newsmen after a closed-door meeting with the governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Mr. Jean-Baptiste said he was impressed with the level of infrastructural facilities at the airport, hence the need to draw the attention of French investors to the state.
He said: “This is one of the several meetings I have had with the governor over the years. We discussed aviation-related items owing to the fact that the state is developing the Gateway International Airport, the Dry Port, and all the major infrastructural projects related to transport.
“We have many French operators who are involved in transportation, logistics, and aviation. There are many interested in investing in Nigeria and Ogun State because Ogun State is seen as a very dynamic and reliable partner.”
He said he had met the governor on many occasions, including last December at the occasion of the state visit of President Bola Tinubu to President Macron in France, and proposed to come and see how he could contribute to the amazing development in Ogun State in the area of transport and aviation.
According to the former transport minister, during the two-day visit, his team would tour the Gateway International Airport, assess the opportunities regarding the Dry Port, the Sea Port, and the railway system with a view to sharing experiences, adding that “because I can see your products are developing very quickly and booming, the demography and market demand are very high.”
He described Governor Abiodun as a man with a clear vision who took pains to assemble good hands to assist him in realizing his dreams for the state, noting that “it has been six years since the governor has been heading the state, and I can see that the changes are really massive and positive.”
Earlier, Governor Abiodun detailed the state’s multimodal transport master plan, emphasizing the strategic integration of the dry port with existing federal rail infrastructure.
He explained that the dry port is designed to leverage the rail network, allowing cargo destined for Ogun State and surrounding areas to be transported by rail to Kajola for clearance. This strategy aims to improve efficiency at Tin Can and Apapa Ports and mitigate past logistical challenges faced by manufacturers.
The governor explicitly linked the development of the Gateway International Airport and the upcoming seaport to this rail-focused strategy, highlighting the interconnectedness of these projects with the dry port and railway system.
“Our airport, in terms of physical construction, has been completed; the runway is 100% completed, and the control tower is 100% completed with all the equipment installed. The terminal building is maybe 90% completed; it is completed physically, and they are doing the fit-out in terms of fittings. We have a temporary terminal building,” he said.
The governor said commercial operations would have started in the last quarter but for the non-installation of navigational equipment like the runway lights, emphasizing that the aim of his administration is to make it the best-equipped airport in Nigeria.
“The airport, as I told you, is an ecosystem. It is situated in what we call our aerotropolis, so we have a Special Agro-Processing Zone there, and we also have the Nigeria Customs and Excise Village because we envision the airport to have a system where Customs and Excise can process things very fast,” he added.
Djebbari’s visit included assessments of the dry port and railway system to explore opportunities for collaboration and experience sharing.