The Lagos chapter of the All Progressives Congress on Tuesday defended the federal government’s $1 billion approval to modernise Lagos ports.
Opposition had hit out at the move, which they claimed was “economic sabotage” of other regions. However, the Lagos chapter of the APC shot down the opposition’s claims, calling it “false and misleading”. Party officials said the funds will boost cargo handling, reduce congestion and improve trade across the nation.
In a statement, the APC chapter said critics who argue the project favours Lagos over other ports lack facts about the government’s plan to start procurement for similar upgrades at other seaports. Party spokesmen emphasised that investments in Apapa and Tin-Can Island aim to strengthen Nigeria’s trade capacity and create jobs.
Opposition has questioned the concentration of resources in Lagos, noting past projects that stalled or failed to deliver public benefit. Former presidential candidate Peter Obi and other critics said the government must publish clear plans and timelines to show how the money will be spent and how other regions will benefit.
Meanwhile, government is going ahead with plans, with officials saying procurement processes are already underway and that road and rail evacuation corridors linked to port upgrades are being planned to avoid shifting the bottleneck elsewhere.
It remains to be seen whether government will publish procurement details, timelines for the Apapa/Tin-Can upgrades, and whether they pair the port funds with transport links and transparency measures that critics demand.
