Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State has hailed the Bakassi Deep Seaport as an economic game-changer. He announced expanded artisan and workforce training initiatives ahead of construction. The project aims to revitalise enterprise development and commerce across the Gulf of Guinea. The seaport has been discussed for years. It remains unbuilt. The training initiative is a useful signal. It also raises a question: will the jobs go to Cross River indigenes or to outside contractors?
The historical echo is the 2012 Bakassi cession and the economic neglect that followed. The peninsula was transferred to Cameroon after the International Court of Justice ruling. Nigeria retained sovereignty over some areas. The seaport is intended to bring economic activity back to the region. The winners are Cross River State, local artisans receiving training and the construction industry. The losers are competing ports, such as Calabar and Onne, and taxpayers if the project fails to attract cargo.
Winners: Cross River State; local artisans receiving training; the construction industry.
Losers: Competing ports; taxpayers if the project fails to attract cargo.
Bottom Line: Training artisans is the right first step. The real test is whether the seaport attracts enough cargo to sustain them.