In this economic recession, investments and jobs creation are what Edo economy needs to sharpen its edges. Gelegele Port is expected to achieve the following among others bringing shipping services and export free zone to the doorstep of shippers in Edo State, Kogi, Ondo, Delta and other states..
In its efforts to make transportation of goods easier and also create jobs opportunities for youths in Edo State, Governor Obaseki has given assurances that his administration is committed in completing Gelegele port. It is important to note that the Gelegele port was conceived to facilitate efficient cargo delivering to Edo State, provide access to port services, stimulate Edo economic development, boost export of agricultural commodities, provide employment opportunities as well as increase revenue generation to Edo State, If you do not go to Lagos, your goods are brought to Edo State, it means the cost of transportation will reduce. It means we are replicating the economy of Lagos in Edo State. There will be a lot of incidental issues, transportation, warehouses, factories, because these will be a gateway to export. Gelegele port will expand economic value chain and open up new business opportunities to the citizens of Edo State.
Developing Gelegele port will improve the welfare of Edo people through appropriate social, political and economic conditions. The expected outcomes are quantitative and qualitative improvements in human capital (e.g. income and education levels) as well as physical capital such infrastructures (utilities, transport, telecommunications). While in the previous decades in Edo State, development policies and strategies tended to focus on physical capital, in the past seven years it has seen a better balance by including human capital issues. Irrespective of the relative importance of physical versus human capital, development cannot occur without both as infrastructures cannot remain effective without proper operations and maintenance while economic activities cannot take place without an infrastructure base.
Because of its intensive use of infrastructures, the transport sector is an important component of the economy and a common tool used for development. This is even more so in a global economy where economic opportunities have been increasingly related to the mobility of people, goods and information. A relation between the quantity and quality of transport infrastructure and the level of economic development is apparent. High density transport infrastructure and highly connected networks are commonly associated with high levels of development. When Gelegele port transport system is efficient, it will provide economic and social opportunities and benefits that will result in positive multipliers effects such as better accessibility to markets, employment and additional investments. When Gelegele transport system is deficient in terms of capacity or reliability, it can have an economic cost such as reduced or missed opportunities and lower quality of life.
At the aggregate level, efficient transportation reduces costs in many economic sectors, while inefficient transportation increases these costs. In addition, the impacts of transportation are not always intended and can have unforeseen or unintended consequences. For instance, congestion is often an unintended consequence in the provision of free or low cost transport infrastructure to the users. However, congestion is also the indication of a growing economy where capacity and infrastructure have difficulties keeping up with the rising mobility demands. Transport carries an important social and environmental load, which cannot be neglected. Assessing the economic importance of transportation requires a categorization of the types of impacts it conveys. These involve core (the physical characteristics of transportation), operational and geographical dimensions:
In his New Year broadcast to the people of the State, Governor Obaseki assured the Edo people of economic recovery in 2017. He informed the people that the development of Gelegele as a port and industrial zone was of high priority to the government and people of Edo, adding that it will improve the state economic competitiveness. He said: “I have set up a seven-member committee headed by Mr. Gregory Ero, to establish Gelegele, as a foremost economic and industrial hub in Nigeria.’ On the Gelegele sea port, Obaseki said: “We have met with the minister of transport and we have planed to make the gelegele sea port as a container terminal so that economic activities will be improved in the state.”
Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo has said that plans were ongoing to develop Gelegele Seaport into a Container Terminal. Obaseki disclosed this at the inauguration of a technical committee to oversee the development of the seaport at Government House in Benin on Thursday. He said the state government was discussing with the Federal Ministry of Transport on the possibilities of making the seaport a container terminal.
According to him, making it a container terminal will boost revenue generation; create more jobs thereby boosting economic activities in the state.
He also said the location would also house an agro-industrial park that would increase exportation of agricultural produces from the state. The governor said that the inauguration of the committee was one of the major steps taken by his administration to boost economic activities in the state and the country at large.
Obaseki said that the importance of developing the Gelegele sea port could not be overemphasized. According to him, apart from the historical importance, gelegele seaport will play significant role for the future economic development of Edo. “It will lead to promotion of trade and commerce and employment and lead to significant infrastructure development within the host community and environs,” he said.
He urged the committee to come up with a blueprint on how to actualise the state’s vision to create a viable seaport. The terms of reference of the technical committee, advising the government on the feasibility of developing the seaport as an import and export zone. To liaise on behalf of the state with relevant Federal Government agencies and other maritime related agencies, private sector participants and other shareholder, respectively.
Gelegele is a major Oil and Gas bearing/producing community in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State that hosted the philip’s oil company limited subsidiary of philip 66 of texas USA in 1963. The assets and liabilities of Philip oil company in OML 96 were divested to Dubri Oil Company in 1987. It has made Edo state one of the oil and gas producing state in Niger Delta.
GELEGELE FOREST RESERVE
The Biodiversity conservation project in Gelegele forest reserve is important to Edo State {one of the largest forest reserve in Africa} with several species of Biodiversity through some now extinct as a result of oil exploration and exploitation activities by shell oil company now acquired by NNPC, Pan Ocean Oil Company and Dubri Oil Company. The Gelegele forest reserve biodiversity conservation project popularly known as BAP {Biodiversity Action Plan} sponsored by Shell Petroleum Development Company and Edo State Government but managed by Nigerian Conservation Foundation {NCF}.
SEAPORT
Gelegele has a landing jetty built by the then President Alhaji Shehu Shagari administration in 1980/1981 for the transportation of goods and services to other part of the world by sea. It is in this vein both former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan of the federal Republic of Nigeria proposed a seaport at Gelegele, which I pray come to see the light of the day in this present administration.
Gelegele Community (Gelegele-gbene) is an ancient Olodiama Ijaw speaking Community founded by PA OLUGBO IKPITI several centuaries ago. It is surrounded by other Ijaw communities, in Olodiama clan, which are Ikoro, Inikorogha, Iboro, Igbeleuba, Kusangha {Ekenwan} with Ikoro as the Traditional head quarters. Gelegele is a boarder community between Bini communities and Ijaw communities on one hand and also it is a boundary community of Olodiama clan and Egbema clan of Delta and Edo states.
Some of the Bini communities near and around Gelegele are UGHOTON, IKPAKO, EGBETAN, ODUNA and UGBINE etc. And these communities have one thing or issues at one time or the other both for good and bad. Gelegele as an Ijaw word meaning Mountainous, Hilly, Elevated or high and Gbene meaning Community, town or village. Gelegele-gbene, Therefore means Mountainous Hilly or elevated Community.
Gelegele an oil rich community in the Niger Delta, a small riverside village that lies at Benin River, is a graphic contrast to its economic and historical significance.
A lot of activities that are very vital to the history of the ancient Benin kingdom are linked to Gelegele. It is in history that the slave trade and trade in cocoa, cowries and other precious items with the Germans, Portuguese and later British were all done through this port as the major seaport in the region. Today, the famous Gelegele seaport has been reduced to a mere waterside where only fishing by the local people takes place. Also, the Portuguese and British governments used the Gelegele sea port extensively for more than half a century before the 1897 infamous British punitive expedition.
Gelegele is a community situated in Ovia North East Local Government Are Of Edo State. Historically, it was through Gelegele that the Europeans entered Benin City. The previous administration of GEJ approved the construction of a seaport in Gelegele in 2013. The construction of Gelegele seaport will provide employment to thousands of Edo indigenes and even non indigenes. The seaport will increase the Internal Generated Revenue of Edo state and boost the transportation of the largest deposits, Crude Oil recently discovered in Gelegele community. The dredging of Gelegele ought to have been completed by now. The port, when attended to would boost the employment opportunities for the youths as well as enhance the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) which is a major policy–thrust in Nigeria.
The Governor Obaseki has said that the great potential of Gelegele Port which is part of the maritime industry will be a major revenue earner and driving force for economic growth and development in Edo State. He acknowledged that the maritime industry played a vital role in development of the country. According to him, the industry is widely acknowledged as being in need of far-reaching reforms in order to align with global best practices. The idea should also move the industry forward in the best interest of economic and private investors. I believe one of the basic issues revolve around the need for government to create enabling environment through the design and implementation of appropriate policies, incentives and provision of required infrastructure. The governor has said that the state government was committed to doing everything in its capacity to ease the process of doing business in Edo State. Obaseki has said that is the only way to attract investments to the critical sectors of the economy.
Inwalomhe Donald is a public affairs analyst, [email protected], www.inwalomhedonald.com.ng
