The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman, has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the Nigerian ports to accelerate ports infrastructure and intermodal transportation infrastructure development.
She made the call at the sustainability breakout session on ‘Unlocking Opportunities Through Infrastructure and Urban Development’ at the 23rd Nigerian Economic Summit organized by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group and the Ministry of Budget and National Planning.
She also said the Calabar ports would be revamped to unlock agricultural export opportunities in the North Central and North East.
“There is need to declare state of emergency on intermodal transportation infrastructure to the ports. Declaring a state of emergency will ensure that every other permit and funds needed for the intermodal transport system to work will be given necessary attention, and with dispatch by all MDAs,” she said.
The MD/CEO said it was unacceptable that about 80 percent of the cargo that came into and left our ports were carried by road, adding that other means of transport must be activated to link the ports.
“We need to institute cargo evacuation system into and out of our ports. Right now, about 80 percent of the cargos that come into and leave our ports are carried by road. Since we don’t have credible cargo evacuation system in our ports, there will definitely be bad roads and congestions around our ports,” she noted.
“The incessant utilization of the western ports – Tincan Island and the Apapa ports – has resulted to congestion at the ports. There is need for agencies of government like the Nigerian Ports Authority, the Ministry of Works, Power and Housing, to make other ports competitive,” Usman stated.
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