Nigeria: Shippers Start Campaign for New Ports

President Goodluck Jonathan has been urged to develop new ports in some major cities like Lagos, Calabar, and Port Harcourt to enable the country compete favourably in West and Central Africa.

Maritime operators said the Federal Government should support the initiatives of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to meet logistics needs of the maritime industry and stop diversion of goods particularly rice and vehicles to neighbouring countries.

Speaking at a forum organised by Water Ways Logistic and Administration in Lagos, the Managing Director of Sunshine Shipping Industry, Mr Rotimi Agbabiaka hailed President Jonathan for dredging the Lagos Channels to accommodate bigger vessels and make the port attractive for business.

Agbabiaka, however, said it was inevitable for President Jonathan to invest in the new port facilities to cope with the increasing cargo traffic and port congestion before he leaves the office.

The shipper also urged the Managing Director, NPA, Omar Suleiman, to impress the need to have a modern port in the country.

New facilities, Joseph said, should be designed to meet the logistics needs of the maritime industry while anticipating the need for future development.

He called on the government to help in the funding of maritime researches, saying the sector lacks in-depth investigation due to poor funding.

He told participants that the development of new port facilities would stop diversion of goods particularly rice and vehicles to neighbouring ports in the West African sub-region and lead to increase in vehicle traffic in the country.

The importer also noted that the removal of wrecks and the deepening of the Lagos channel by the NPA would facilitate trade by attracting bigger vessels and lead to increase in gross registered tonnage vessels and ships turnaround time.

The Managing Director, Century Freight and Trade Mr Feyisayo Adesegun, said the maritime industry is endowed with enormous natural resources which can provide great potential and opportunities necessary to achieve rapid and sustainable growth and development.

By Oluwakemi Dauda (thenationonlineng)