The Minister of Transport, Sen. Idris Umar has advised the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa to interact on technological developments in ports and shipping globally.
Umar, who stated this at the opening of the 35th Council Meeting of the association in Lagos said that such interaction would encourage healthy competition among ports.
The minister, who was represented by the Director of Maritime Services, Alhaji Musa Nagogo, said that the history of the association spanned 40 years.
The Minister of Transport, Sen. Idris Umar has advised the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa to interact on technological developments in ports and shipping globally.
Umar, who stated this at the opening of the 35th Council Meeting of the association in Lagos said that such interaction would encourage healthy competition among ports.
The minister, who was represented by the Director of Maritime Services, Alhaji Musa Nagogo, said that the history of the association spanned 40 years.
He said that the commitment of member ports was visible in the transformation engineered by member states in the individual ports.
He said that the gathering would deliberate “on important resolutions that will move the regional ports to the world class standard and create for them, the competitive edge we desire.’’
Idris explained that the countries in the sub-region were experiencing challenges of piracy and armed robbery which had made shipments in the sub-region more expensive.
He said that this was the reason why member states should co-ordinate their activities and confront the menace of piracy and armed robbery at sea.
“The problems of pollution and environmental degradation require coordinated efforts as pollution in Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria or any other country have very serious impact on the others.
“The resolutions of this meeting should serve as policy materials for our respective governments and decision makers in view of the significance of ports to our national economies,’’ the minister said.
Alhaji Omar Suleiman, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), said that member states should come to terms with the needs of their customer.
According to him, such a stem is a basis for any successful business venture.
“The need for reform of our business practices and ports in particular, for our economic growth and development therefore requires more emphasis,’’ Suleiman said.
He said that in Nigeria, the realisation that the private sector remained the engine room for economic growth led to the reform of the nation’s ports.
Suleiman also pointed out the need for government to limit its roles to policy and the creation of an enabling environment.
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