CorridorsData
DP World signs $7bn Nigeria port and industrial zone agreement
The Dubai operator and Ogun State agreed to develop a deep-sea port with 18-metre draft and 10,000-hectare zone modelled on Jebel Ali.
DP World and Ogun State signed memoranda of intent on 30 September 2026 for a deep-sea port and industrial zone in Nigeria with initial investment exceeding $7 billion, according to the State House. The Gateway Deep Sea Port will feature a four-kilometre berth and 18-metre draft designed to accommodate vessels too large for the congested Lagos corridor, with the adjacent Blue Marine zone covering 10,000 hectares for manufacturing and export businesses.
Port specifications and capacity#
The 18-metre draft and four-kilometre berth length will allow the facility to handle ships that cannot currently call at Lagos, the State House stated. The port is designed to serve as a deepwater alternative to existing Nigerian terminals, with the industrial zone built alongside the berth rather than as a separate development. Ogun State stated the project follows the Jebel Ali model of combining port infrastructure with manufacturing land at the same site, according to Al Bayan.
Industrial zone and transport links#
Blue Marine will provide 10,000 hectares for manufacturers and export-oriented businesses, allowing goods to be produced at the location where they are shipped. The 28-kilometre Ogun section of the 700-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will connect the port and zone to Lagos, the hinterland and the wider region, alongside a planned airport and dry ports, according to Enterprise AM. First Abu Dhabi Bank and Afreximbank closed a $1.1 billion facility earlier in 2026 for the highway, comprising $626 million from FAB and $500 million from Afreximbank, to serve the existing Lekki Deep Sea Port.
DP World Africa expansion#
DP World stated in 2024 it planned to invest nearly $3 billion in African port infrastructure over three to five years. Since that announcement, the company has advanced a 222-hectare industrial park near Mombasa and continued expanding its Dar es Salaam terminal, according to Enterprise AM. The Nigeria agreement follows the operator's established pattern of combining port capacity with adjacent industrial land in African markets.
Development timeline and precedent#
Ogun State previously saw a port and refinery project held up for approximately 3.5 years before it was relocated to Lagos instead, Dangote Group President Aliko Dangote told Business Insider Africa. The memoranda of intent signed on 30 September 2026 establish the framework for the Gateway Deep Sea Port and Blue Marine zone, with no construction start date disclosed in the State House announcement.
Sources3 sources across 3 domains
- enterpriseam.comEnterprise AM$7bn investment figure, 10,000-hectare zone size, 4km berth, 18-metre draft, Blue Marine zone purpose, Jebel Ali model reference, highway link details, FAB and Afreximbank facility amounts
- worldcargonews.comWorld Cargo NewsMemoranda of Intent signed, investment exceeding $7 billion, deep-sea port and economic zone
- logisticsmiddleeast.comLogistics Middle EastMoUs signed for $7bn port and 10,000-hectare special economic zone in Ogun State
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MENA Trade is published by Arabian Media Network. Pieces are produced by the Corridors Desk with AI-assisted synthesis of the cited sources and automated verification against the network's editorial policy. Every piece carries a desk rather than a reporter. Corrections are recorded on the piece and on the corrections page.