ABEOKUTA — Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun says President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the commencement of commercial oil drilling in the state’s coastal belt, a move that could position Ogun among Nigeria’s oil-producing states and expand economic activity in the Ogun Waterside axis.
Abiodun disclosed the approval on Thursday while receiving the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abubakar Abdullahi Mustapha, at the Governor’s Office in Abeokuta. According to the governor, Tinubu directed that commercial drilling should begin around the Eba/Tongeji Island corridor in Ogun Waterside, adding that residents should expect “a lot of activities” as operational work ramps up.
In the same briefing, Abiodun announced a second major decision: Tinubu has approved the immediate take-off of the Olokola Deep Seaport project, a long-delayed port proposal located in Ogun’s coastal zone.
The governor described both projects as priorities of the President, arguing that the revived seaport would serve as a strategic alternative to congested maritime logistics in Lagos. He said Tinubu had, in recent meetings, emphasized his desire to see the port become a reality and directed that construction should be “far advanced” between now and next year.
Abiodun said the proposed port will operate under a new branding concept — the “Blue Marine Economic Zone” — reflecting its coastal location and intended role as a platform for trade, industrial growth and wider commercial development.
Security considerations featured prominently in the governor’s remarks. Abiodun commended the Nigerian Navy’s expanding footprint on the coastline, noting that the establishment and planned upgrade of a naval presence at Tongeji Island would help curb cross-border infiltration from neighbouring Benin Republic and deter criminal activity along the waterways.
Rear Admiral Mustapha, in turn, described Ogun as strategically important to national security and said the naval outpost on Tongeji Island was being upgraded to a Forward Operations Base, citing the area’s growing economic significance and oil potential.
Abiodun added that the state government is working to improve living conditions for island communities through basic amenities, positioning the coastal belt for increased economic activity as oil operations and port development move from policy approval to implementation.
