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Hadiza Bala Usman, managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), has restated the Authority’s commitment to the optimal utilisation of Eastern Ports in line with the Ease of Doing Business Policy of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
Speaking when NPA hosted members of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Ports and Harbours in Lagos recently, Usman said that management of the NPA was working with all relevant stakeholders towards tackling the challenges that are impeding patronage of the Eastern Ports.
A statement signed by Adams Jatto, general manager, Corporate & Strategic Communications, said issues such as insecurity on the waterways, poor access roads, lack of rail linkage to ports and shallow depths strongly discourage vessel owners from patronising the Eastern Ports. To her, shallow depth hinders the movement of big vessels.
On the issues of draught limitations, Usman explained that following the approval of the contract by the Federal Executive Council in 2018, dredging works on deepening the Warri channel draft to 7.5 meters had been completed while consultants had been engaged to advise on the level of investments needed to improve the infrastructural capacity of the port in Port Harcourt.
While noting that the Onne Ports currently function at full capacity, she said the NPA had granted all requisite approvals for the construction of the Lekki Deep Seaport for which construction has started.
She further said that the Authority was awaiting response from the promoters of the Badagry Deep Seaport to enable conclusion on the final outline business case for the project.
She however noted that the maritime industry was becoming increasingly disposed to patronising Deep Seaports which allows for bigger vessels and aid economies of scale. “Nigeria would only assure its future market share in the industry with the development of Deep Seaports.
On security, she explained that the NPA was perfecting plans to purchase patrol boats and working with the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), and the Port Police Command to combat crimes on the nation’s waterways, and assured that progress is being made on this front.
“The NPA has drawn a basket of deplorable port access roads nationwide and written to the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing about the need to prioritise the rehabilitation of these roads. The ministry has commenced implementation of this process with the recent award of the construction of Ikom Bridge, which is a key road connecting Cross River State to the North Eastern part of the country,” she said..
She however expressed optimism that these steps would better link the ports with hinterland and attract more business to the Eastern Ports.
Earlier, BubaYakub, chairman of the Ad-hoc committee, said that the committee was on a fact- finding mission to know the reasons the Eastern Ports were not working optimally as the Western Ports, and how much that affects national development.
Yakub noted that this assignment would take his committee round all the ports and at the end of the day, the team would generate a blueprint that would improve patronage at the Eastern Ports and prevent agitations from host communities.
