By Frank Adesina

Spokesperson to Wale Kuku (Dodondawa) on Policy Communication 

The announcement by Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, concerning the proposed $7 billion Gateway Deep Sea Port and $10 billion Ogun Liquefied Natural Gas (OgunLNG) project raises an important question about the economic direction of our state: What exactly are we building, and more importantly, what are we producing?

The Governor made these announcements during the November 3 town hall meeting in Ijebu-Ode, organised to gather stakeholders’ contributions towards the 2027 budget. However, the meeting, which should have provided an open platform for citizens to discuss their development priorities, appeared, in the observation of Wale Kuku’s camp, the Labour Party’s Ogun East senatorial candidate, to take on the atmosphere of a political gathering, with a strong presence of APC members and supporters. The presence of Governor Abiodun, the APC’s Ogun East senatorial candidate, alongside Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi), the party’s governorship candidate, made this concern even more pronounced.

A public budget consultation should be about the people, their needs and the economic future of the state. It is against this background that the priorities announced at the meeting deserve closer examination.

While the proposed projects may attract significant investments, the fundamental question remains: what are we producing, and how will these investments translate into sustainable economic opportunities for our people?

Wale Kuku believes Ogun State must carefully consider whether another deep sea port is its most urgent priority when the productive economy required to sustain such infrastructure remains underdeveloped.

His position is straightforward: Ogun State must first build an economy that produces, processes and exports.

Do we need another deep sea port, or should we prioritise production?

The Lekki Deep Sea Port is already operational and located approximately 50–70 kilometres from the proposed Gateway Deep Sea Port. It provides an existing maritime gateway for the Lagos-Ogun corridor.

Ports are essential to international trade, but a port is not an economy in itself. Its value depends on the goods passing through it, the industries it supports, the businesses it connects and the jobs it creates.

The question, therefore, is whether another port should take priority over developing the productive economy that will generate the cargo and exports needed to sustain it. Are we building another port primarily to facilitate imports, or are we building an economy capable of producing enough goods to export?

Ogun State has enormous agricultural and industrial potential. Ijebu, Remo and other parts of the state have land, farmers, entrepreneurs and proximity to Lagos, one of Africa’s largest consumer markets. Yet, we have not fully developed the agricultural and industrial value chains that should make our region a major supplier of food, processed agricultural products and industrial raw materials.

Our priorities should include large-scale commercial and smallholder agriculture, agro-processing industries, food storage and cold-chain facilities, modern warehouses, and stronger cassava, rice, palm produce, cocoa, poultry, fisheries and livestock value chains. We must also invest in packaging, preservation, manufacturing, reliable electricity, irrigation and rural infrastructure.

There is an important lesson in what Lagos is planning. Despite its limited land and enormous population, Lagos has announced plans for between 50 and 100 small food-processing plants to strengthen its food supply chain. If Lagos is deliberately creating food-processing capacity, why should Ogun State not be leading this movement? Why should Ijebu not become a major centre for agro-processing, food manufacturing and agricultural exports, supplying Lagos, the rest of Nigeria and international markets?

Imagine processing clusters across Ogun East, connecting farmers, cooperatives, investors and markets. Imagine cassava transformed into industrial starch, garri and other food products; palm produce processed into finished goods; poultry processed and packaged; and fish preserved and distributed through modern cold-chain systems, with strong participation from local businesses, smallholder farmers and processors.

These clusters must be supported by a practical financing model. Wale Kuku proposes a combination of public-sector enabling investment, private-sector partnerships, development-finance institutions and agricultural financing schemes to establish shared processing facilities, storage, power and logistics infrastructure. Farmers, cooperatives and local entrepreneurs would be supported through accessible financing, equipment-leasing arrangements and structured market agreements.

The objective is to create commercially sustainable clusters that attract private investment, reduce the financial burden on individual farmers and processors, and ensure that local businesses have a meaningful stake in the value chains they help build.

We already have important infrastructure to support this productive economy. The Gateway International Airport in the Iperu axis creates opportunities for agricultural exports, particularly time-sensitive products such as fresh produce and seafood. We also have good road connections to Lagos and the Lekki Deep Sea Port as an existing maritime gateway.

Rather than treating each infrastructure project as an isolated achievement, we should integrate these assets into one economic system: farmers producing at scale, processing plants operating across our communities, refrigerated trucks moving goods to distribution centres, the airport handling high-value perishables and existing seaports connecting manufacturers and exporters to international markets.

We should maximise the infrastructure we already have while building the productive capacity that will make it work.

We must move beyond growing produce and selling it in its raw form. We must process it, package it, preserve it, brand it and export it. That is how we create jobs, entrepreneurs, retain value within our communities and build lasting prosperity.

Ogun Waterside: Protecting and developing a major economic opportunity

There is also a need to carefully examine the implications of the proposed Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway for Ogun Waterside.

Infrastructure development is important, but it must protect the environment, respect local communities and preserve long-term economic opportunities.

Ogun Waterside possesses valuable coastal landscapes, fishing communities, wetlands and natural habitats. Properly protected and developed, these assets could support a multi-billion-dollar economy in tourism, fisheries and agriculture.

Its coastline offers opportunities for pristine beaches, luxury resorts, eco-lodges, boat clubs, marine recreation and nature-based tourism. It could attract international hospitality brands, investors and visitors seeking a different experience from the increasingly urbanised coastal environment of Lagos.

Ogun Waterside has the potential to attract up to $15 billion in long-term tourism and related investments, if properly planned and positioned as an international destination. This is a development opportunity, not an amount of investment already secured.

Importantly, this vision is not starting from scratch. New Generation Foundation has received numerous business proposals and expressions of interest from prospective local and international businesses and investors.

The benefits would extend far beyond hotels and resorts. Restaurants, food businesses, transport operators, tour guides, boat operators, artisans, entertainment businesses, holiday rentals and event centres across Ijebu could benefit. The economic impact could extend throughout Ogun East, generating employment and opportunities for small businesses.

However, this opportunity could be undermined if major infrastructure projects are implemented without adequate environmental safeguards.

We must pay particular attention to sensitive ecosystems, wetlands, coastal forests and reported wildlife habitats in the wider area. Proper environmental and social impact assessments must guide decisions about the coastal highway’s alignment and construction. We must understand what could be lost before making decisions that may be difficult to reverse.

The roads, electricity, water, security and other infrastructure we provide should support tourism, fisheries, aquaculture, agriculture and agro-processing while protecting the natural assets that make Waterside valuable.

Development should create economic opportunities, not destroy the very assets that could generate wealth for generations.

Wale Kuku believes Ogun Waterside deserves a dedicated development vision, which will be addressed in a separate, more detailed discussion.

Getting our development priorities right

The proposed Gateway Deep Sea Port and other major investments deserve transparent feasibility studies, clear economic projections, environmental assessments and public accountability. The state should explain the expected cargo demand, the relationship with existing ports, public infrastructure commitments, financing arrangements and projected economic benefits for Ogun residents.

Major projects should be judged not simply by the size of their announced investments, but by the productive businesses they create, the jobs they generate and the lasting value they deliver to our communities.

Ogun State needs infrastructure, but infrastructure must serve a productive economy. We must get our priorities right.

First, produce. Then process. Then package. Then export.

We should be growing food to feed Lagos and Nigeria, processing agricultural products for domestic and international markets, developing our fisheries and manufacturing industries, and creating productive businesses that provide meaningful employment and sustainable family incomes.

Our greatest opportunity is not simply to become a state with another major port. It is to become a state that produces the goods, food, services and experiences that the world wants to buy.

Ogun State must become a production powerhouse. Ijebu must become an agricultural, industrial and commercial centre. Our development priorities must be measured by how much wealth we create, how many businesses we grow and how many families benefit.

That is the economic conversation Ogun State needs to have.

As a Senator, Wale Kuku would focus on advancing policies and partnerships that strengthen production and its value chains, build competitive local businesses, expand access to finance and ensure that existing infrastructure is fully utilised to create economic opportunities.

As the Ogun East senatorial election approaches, citizens should examine the plans and commitments of those seeking their mandate.

Let us ask the right questions, assess the proposals and make informed choices about the economic future we want for Ogun East.

Frank Adesina

 Spokesperson to Wale Kuku (Dodondawa)