The Project Delivery Team for the Benin Port said it has completed the Request for Qualification (RFQ) exercise, which will help to realise the port project.
Greg Ogbeifun, the chairman of the Benin Port Project, disclosed this in a recent statement.
According to him, Godwin Obaseki, the governor of Edo State and the Minister of Transportation had set up the Project Steering Committee (PSC) and Project Delivery Team (PDT) to ensure the realisation of the Benin Port Project under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, as already approved by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC).
He said that the Request for Qualification (RFQ) advertisement was approved by the PDT, and officially launched by the Transaction Adviser in both national and international media publications on 15th and 16th February 2023, and a virtual pre-application conference was held with prospective bidders on 22nd February 2023.
Ogbeifun assured the commitment of the Edo State Governor to a transparent and competitive bidding process for the development of the Benin Port, to comply with international best practices.
Ugo Madubuike, general manager of PPP at the Nigerian Ports Authority, had assigned Wanka Ahmad (NPA) to head the Project Delivery Team sub-committee on RFQ Evaluation, and the exercise was professionally executed.
Joe Aigboduwa, the project director, expressed appreciation to members of the evaluation team for their dedicated time, and the diligence exhibited during the exercise, and looked forward to further cooperation in the continuation of the bidding process.
It is gathered that the Benin Port is a legacy project of the Edo State Government that would be a unique agro-based multipurpose port in Nigeria, encompassing a smart Port Community complex with sustainable renewable energy for the promotion of green emissions and protection of the environment, and would create massive opportunities for host communities and beyond.
The Project Steering Committee and PDT comprise representatives from the Federal Ministry of Transportation (FMOT), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Federal Ministry of Justice (FMOJ), Federal Ministry of Finance (FMOF), Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Edo State Government (EDSG), and the Transaction Adviser (CPCS Transcom, Canada).
