Nigeria must address port infrastructural deficit to attain ERGP goals – NPA

For Nigeria to actualise the objectives of the Federal Government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), the nation must address the challenges posed on trade by infrastructural deficit around the ports, Hadiza Bala-Usman, managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), has said.

Usman in a statement signed by Adams Jatto, general manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications of the NPA, said the actualisation of ERGP depends largely on how swiftly, the nation can correct the inherent deficits in the nation’s port infrastructure especially the port access roads.

Speaking at the quarterly meeting of the Port Consultative Council (PCC) held in Lagos recently, she said NPA has embarked on projects geared towards ameliorating the challenges of doing business within the port environment.

She listed the projects to include conversion of Lilypond Container Terminal to a holding bay for trucks, introduction of call-up system for trucks and other incentives to encourage the transfer of cargo through barges from Ikorodu, Epe and Ijegun among others.

She called on stakeholders to collaborate with one another in order to achieve greater operational efficiency and proffer ways of tackling challenges impeding the progress of the sector.

Usman assured of the NPA management’s commitment to tackling critical issues facing optimal operational capacity in areas that border on maritime safety and security, port access roads and multimodal transportation of cargo.

Kunle Folarin, chairman of PCC, who commended Bala Usman for impacting positively in the sector, solicited for the support of all agencies in moving the council to the next level.