The Director-General of the Tinubu Support Group, TSG, Nigeria and Diaspora, Dr. Umar Tanko Yakasai, has hailed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for what he described as a historic display of visionary leadership following the signing of two transformative international agreements in France last week.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Dr. Yakasai said President Tinubu has once again demonstrated why he remains Nigeria’s most strategic economic reformer.
He celebrated the signing of Memoranda of Understanding for the over $7 billion Gateway Deep Sea Port and the 10,000-hectare Ogun State Blue Marine Special Economic Zone with global logistics giant, DP World MEA FZE, in Paris, an event witnessed personally by President Tinubu on September 24, 2026.
“This is not just a port project. This is Renewed Hope in action,” Yakasai stated.
According to him, the deals will deliver far-reaching benefits for the Nigerian economy:
1. 50,000 Jobs and Economic Diversification: The agreements envisage an initial investment of more than $7 billion into the Nigerian economy and over 50,000 direct jobs at full development, generating substantial non-oil export earnings from the creativity and productivity of Nigerians.
2. Decongesting Lagos, Empowering The Nation: The Gateway Deep Seaport, with a 4-kilometre berth and 18-metre draft to accommodate the largest vessels in the world, will decongest Apapa and Tin Can Island ports, reduce costs for importers and exporters, and position Ogun Waterside as the Marine Capital of Africa.
3. Federal Backing, Private Capital: As Governor Dapo Abiodun rightly noted, this is a Public-Private Partnership where private investors provide funding while the Federal Government under President Tinubu provides the crucial guarantees, regulatory clarity and policy stability that investors demand.
Dr. Yakasai added that alongside the maritime revolution, the Federal Government also finalized the strategic Nigeria-US Solid Minerals Cooperation Framework to unlock Nigeria’s estimated $700 billion mineral potential and attract American investment, technology and processing capacity into the solid minerals sector.
He noted that the solid minerals agreement ensures value addition happens in Nigeria, not abroad, aligning perfectly with President Tinubu’s agenda to move the country from a raw material exporter to an industrial powerhouse.
Quoting President Tinubu at the signing, he said: “We are doing more than signing agreements; we are laying the foundation for a new chapter in Nigeria’s development.” The President assured that the Federal Government will provide the necessary regulatory and institutional support to move seamlessly from agreements to implementation.
“From stabilising our foreign reserves, to clearing inherited loans, to now attracting over $7 billion in FDI from Paris, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is saving Nigeria from economic collapse and building a prosperous, inclusive future. This is leadership. This is vision. This is Tinubu,” Yakasai declared.
