The Nigerian Association of Stevedoring Companies has said that Nigeria is gradually losing its hub status to neighboring African countries, due to policy somersault by the Federal Government.
President of the association, Mr. Bolaji Sunmola in an interview with Shipping Position Daily in Lagos yesterday lamented that millions of metric tonnes of cargoes that are supposed to come into Nigeria are presently finding their ways into ports of neighbouring countries.
The Nigerian Association of Stevedoring Companies has said that Nigeria is gradually losing its hub status to neighboring African countries, due to policy somersault by the Federal Government.
President of the association, Mr. Bolaji Sunmola in an interview with Shipping Position Daily in Lagos yesterday lamented that millions of metric tonnes of cargoes that are supposed to come into Nigeria are presently finding their ways into ports of neighbouring countries.
He lamented that dockworkers are losing money because the cargoes are being trans-shipped from other countries from where they are now smuggled through the land borders into Nigeria, even as he noted that the maritime sector is one of the major engines that drives the Nigerian economy.
"So many millions of cargo tonnages and throughput that are supposed to come into Nigeria are going to other countries, we are losing our hub centre right, we are losing transfers into the hinterland, all the cargoes are no longer here in Nigeria, just because we are not doing the right thing"
"We know the amount of money these things could generate for us, let us come together and do it the way it’s supposed to be done, don't forget that it is the maritime sector that drives the economy, but where we are having policy somersault it is not going to help us" he warned.
The stevedore pointed out that most foreign companies with operations in the eastern ports are now complaining because the Rivers ports cannot accommodate large vessels.
He also condemned the lip service, which he said is being paid by government to the construction of deep sea ports in Nigeria. According to him, the project ought to have been kick started long ago so as to assist Nigeria’s shipping trade.
"We have Rivers ports, but vessels coming in now by most foreign companies, they want a bigger vessels that can bring thousands of containers, drop them and go to bring more so that distribution can go on, but why is Nigeria not having all that", he lamented.
"Nigeria has been talking about deep sea ports every now and then, but some are nearing completion outside Nigeria, while we are still at the drawing table" he said
Where these markets are not tapped, Sunmola said that they will naturally accrue to other nations and that the unfortunate thing is that most of these goods that are imported will still find their way to Nigerian markets.
"So it is Nigeria that is losing, it means that our importers will be paying more on freight charges, because they will have to trans-ship somewhere before coming into Nigeria and this means the cost of goods will continue to be on the rise" he pointed out.
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