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Hauwa Ali
Mota-Engil Nigeria has received additional equipment as part of their $200 million investment in Nigeria, in preparation for the construction of the proposed Benin Port.
The newly delivered equipment includes various items such as a Sleeper’s Factory, Rail Route Tyre Excavators, Drillers, Rails, Trailers, Heavy Duty Dumpers, Bulldozers, and Motor Graders. NunoColaço, the logistics manager of the company, led a team to inspect the equipment at the PTML terminal in Lagos. He expressed that the company now possesses a modern fleet of equipment in Nigeria’s construction industry, which will be used in their growing number of projects to ensure timely and high-quality delivery.
This recent equipment acquisition coincides with Mota-Engil being selected as the preferred bidder for the Benin Port Project, a significant undertaking championed by Godwin Obaseki, the governor of Edo State. Greg Ogbeifun, the chairman of the Benin Port Project, confirmed that MotaEngil Nigeria emerged as the preferred bidder after a thorough evaluation of proposals from three pre-qualified bidders.
The Benin Port is envisioned as a unique agro-based port in Nigeria, incorporating a smart Port Community Complex for industrial processing and export of agricultural produce and other goods. It will feature independent, clean, and renewable energy installations. The container terminal of the port will accommodate 300,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) and include multipurpose RoRo facilities for direct vehicle imports, benefiting Edo State’s flourishing automobile industry and other commercial activities associated with port operations.
Governor Obaseki expressed delight at Mota-Engil’s selection as the port developer, as it marks the beginning of the project’s implementation and serves as a catalyst for expanding Edo State’s $11.8 billion economy. Obaseki believes that the port will stimulate growth across various sectors, including agriculture, real estate, manufacturing, food processing, automotive, power, retail, and extractive industries.
In a separate development, the Federal Government has requested Mota-Engil Nigeria to procure Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) instead of Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) engines for the Rolling Stock of the Kano-Maradi rail line. This decision aims to promote more environmentally-friendly operations. Magdalene Ajani, the permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, stated that the contract for the procurement of Rolling Stock was awarded to Mota-Engil Nigeria to ensure a smooth transition from the construction phase to the operational phase once the Kano-Maradi Rail line construction is completed in a few years.