The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has reaffirmed his commitment to driving increased investments in port infrastructure and equipment during a two-day operational tour of the Onne and Rivers Port Complexes on December 4th and 5th, 2024.
The visit forms part of a broader initiative to position Nigeria’s ports for enhanced competitiveness and attract larger vessel traffic to serve the country’s population of over 200 million.
This visit follows his earlier inspection of Lagos ports, including Apapa and TinCan, on November 27. The tours underline the current administration’s resolve to revamp Nigeria’s port infrastructure to align with global standards and improve the nation’s cargo throughput.
During the Onne and Rivers Port Complexes’ tour, Dr. Dantsoho visited several key terminals and facilities, including BRAWAL Oil Services Ltd, Onne Multipurpose Terminal, INTELS, INDORAMA, West African Container Terminal (WACT), NOTORE, and the terminals at the Rivers Port Complex in Port Harcourt.
While addressing stakeholders, Dr. Dantsoho emphasized the urgent need to ramp up investments to keep Nigeria competitive in the regional maritime landscape. He stated:
“With the volume of investments our maritime neighbors along the West and Central African coast are attracting, we must double our efforts to provide the requisite infrastructure and equipment needed to attract larger vessels and scale up cargo throughput. This is essential to adequately serve our population”, he said.
He further noted the directives from the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, to create a more investment-friendly environment. He said:
He stressed that: “As a management team, we are fully committed to this mandate and determined to lay the groundwork for increased private-sector investment. I urge investors to leverage the investment-friendly policies of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and be assured of significant returns on investment in Nigeria’s maritime sector.”
Dr. Dantsoho, who was recently elected as the first Nigerian President of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA), also highlighted the urgent need for infrastructure expansion to address Nigeria’s cargo handling inefficiencies. He remarked:
He added that, “the reality of Nigerian ports processing only two million containers annually to serve a population of over 200 million is a glaring anomaly. This requires immediate intervention through massive investments in port infrastructure.”
