The Port of Antwerp, one of the busiest ports in Europe located in Flanders, Belgium, has agreed to partner with Mercury Maritime Concession Company Limited (MMCC) in the development of Escravos Seaport Industrial Complex (ESIC) in Delta State, Nigeria.
This was revealed by Rear Admiral Andrews Okoja, the Chairman of MMCC while speaking at a briefing in Lagos at the Sailing Club exhibition race 2021.
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“They have visited us and signed a partnership paper agreement, and we intend to continue our relationship with Port of Antwerp International on this particular project where they will handle the maritime infrastructure,” he explained.
About the ESIC project
According to the Chairman of MMCC, the engine that drives the ESIC project is the intricate relationship between maritime, economic, and national development.
The project will be implemented in two-phase, namely ESIC 1 and ESIC 2. ESIC 1 will comprise the construction of the seaport complex, which is the backbone of the project. The ESIC2 on the other hand will open up waterway transportation from Escravos Seaport into the hinterland via River Niger and Benue, and other regions such as Onitsha, Lokoja, Makurdi, etc.
This phase will also include the development of associated industrial estate on Snake Island just off the coast of Lagos. MMCC is according to Rear Admiral Andrews Okoja working with the Lagos State Government on this area. He said that all protocols and everything on the project has been completed and that they are waiting for the State Government to pass the project through its Executive Council of the Governors.
