ICA Demands Urgent Establishment of South East Seaport

Abuja, Nigeria – The Igbo Community Association (ICA), the apex socio-cultural body representing the Igbo people in the Federal Capital Territory, has called for the immediate establishment of a seaport in the South East, condemning the region’s exclusion from Nigeria’s maritime infrastructure as economic sabotage.

In a press statement, ICA President General, Engr. Ikenna Ellis-Ezenekwe, urged the federal government to prioritise the construction of a seaport in the South East, stressing that the absence of a functional port has stifled business growth, inflated costs, and imposed severe economic hardship on millions of traders and entrepreneurs.

Nigeria currently operates six officially recognised seaports under the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), but only two in Lagos are fully functional. This imbalance, ICA argued, places an undue burden on businesses in the South East, forcing traders to endure exorbitant fees and logistical challenges along the Lagos-Onitsha trade corridor.

The association specifically called for the revival of two long-standing but neglected seaport projects: the Obeaku Ndoki Port in Abia State and the Oseakwa Seaport in Anambra State. The latter, located along the Oseakwa River in Ihiala Local Government Area, was a key maritime hub during the colonial era and holds immense potential to transform regional commerce.

According to ICA, establishing a seaport in the South East would decongest Lagos ports, reduce transportation costs, and drive industrialisation in the region, fostering economic growth on a national scale.

While commending Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu for his efforts in securing the South East Development Commission (SEDC), the ICA urged him to make the seaport initiative his next landmark achievement. The group also called on federal lawmakers from the South East to unite in advocating for infrastructural equity.

“The Igbo Community in Abuja has great confidence in our Deputy Speaker,” the statement read. “He has excelled in his role and understands legislative intricacies. We appeal to him to revisit the issue of seaports, as their establishment would significantly enhance economic activities—not just in the South East, but across Nigeria.”

“With the successful creation of the SEDC, securing a seaport should be the next milestone. The time is now.”