ADC Knocks £746M Port Deal, Says Nigeria Taking Loans To Fund British Economy

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised the £746 million agreement signed by President Bola Tinubu during his state visit to the UK, saying it disproportionately favoured the United Kingdom and its economy, while leaving Nigeria with a massive debt.

The National Publicity Secretary of ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, said while the APC government has tried to pass off the deal as President Tinubu’s major achievement, it is in fact an achievement of the UK Government, which, through this deal, has managed to save its steel industry, protect thousands of UK jobs, and get Nigeria to pay for it.

Abdullahi, in a statement, further called on the Federal Government to provide full transparency by disclosing comprehensive details of the agreement, including the applicable interest rates, repayment terms, and any local content provisions or obligations associated with the deal.
“Although the APC Government has tried to hoodwink Nigerians by portraying the agreement to rehabilitate the Tin Can and Apapa Ports in Lagos as a diplomatic success, it is, in reality, a commercial loan arrangement with conditionalities that ensure that a substantial portion of the funds either remains within the United Kingdom or is repatriated back to it.”

ADC said based on information available on the UK Government website, which described the deal as a “major vote of confidence in UK manufacturing,” the £746 million agreement will be delivered through UK Export Finance’s (UKEF) Buyer Credit Facility and arranged by Citibank, N.A., London Branch.

”UKEF is the UK Government’s export credit agency. Its Buyer Credit Facility enables foreign buyers to access financing from commercial banks to procure UK goods and services, typically for projects that require significant UK content participation.”

The party said UKEF guarantees a loan obtained by a foreign buyer from a commercial bank, which is then used to pay for UK goods and services, with the bank paying the UK exporter directly on behalf of the buyer.

It added that under this agreement, at least £236 million of the £746 million in supplier contracts will be awarded to British companies, while British Steel will supply 120,000 tonnes of steel billets under a £70 million contract, representing its largest UKEF-backed export order, for port rehabilitation projects.

”The ADC is particularly concerned that the Nigerian government has entered into an agreement that leaves the country at a clear disadvantage, seemingly in exchange for a few hours of pomp and pageantry, and as part of a broader attempt to secure foreign validation, even as millions of Nigerians continue to face poverty, unemployment, and worsening insecurity.

”There are still several unanswered questions regarding this agreement. These include: what are the repayment terms of the commercial loan, including its duration and applicable interest rate? What percentage of local goods, services, and subcontracting is involved in the port rehabilitation project? How many direct and indirect jobs will be created for Nigerians? What is the project timeline, and when will the ports become fully operational? What provisions exist for training, apprenticeships, and skills transfer? Finally, what are the limits on expatriate staff, and are there defined quotas for SMEs and community benefit obligations?

”If the APC government has answers to these questions, it should make them available to Nigerians. Otherwise, Nigerians are justified in concluding that, 66 years after independence, President Bola Tinubu has travelled to London to sign an agreement that resembles a colonial-era treaty, one that risks mortgaging the country’s future for limited value and symbolism,” the ADC noted.

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