The Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) is raising concerns about the deteriorating condition of the quay apron at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos and the urgent need for rehabilitation of other ports across the country. In response, MARAN has finalized plans to convene a breakfast meeting with maritime stakeholders to discuss viable solutions to address the dire state of the port.
MARAN President, Mr. Godfrey Bivbere, highlighted the association’s worry that the collapsed quay apron at the port is already leading to vessel avoidance, resulting in potential revenue loss for the federal government. The breakfast meeting, scheduled for July 6th, 2023, at Rockview Hotel in Apapa GRA, Lagos, will also serve as the inauguration ceremony for the newly elected officials of MARAN.
The event’s theme is “Rehabilitation of Tin Can Island Port: Offering Practical Solutions.” Prominent attendees expected at the meeting include Mrs. Magdalene Ajani, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation; Mohammed Bello-Koko, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA); Honorable Emmanuel Jime, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council; representatives from various commands of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS); shipping companies; terminal operators; the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN); Barge Operators Association of Nigeria; Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA); National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF); National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA); and maritime truck owners, among others.
Mr. Godfrey Bivbere, in the statement, expressed the association’s concern regarding ships avoiding the Tin Can Island Port due to the deteriorating quay apron, emphasizing the detrimental impact on Nigeria’s economy, which heavily relies on daily port revenue generation. MARAN, fulfilling its role as an agenda-setting body, aims to use the Breakfast Meeting as a platform to explore practical solutions for the dire state of the Tin Can Port and advocate for the rehabilitation of other ports nationwide.
