The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Engr. Omar Suleiman has said that the Nigerian Ports is now friendly for both local and foreign investors.
He gave this assurance in a lecture he delivered at the recent conferment of the fellowship of the Chartered Institute of Transport (CILT) on him
The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Engr. Omar Suleiman has said that the Nigerian Ports is now friendly for both local and foreign investors.
He gave this assurance in a lecture he delivered at the recent conferment of the fellowship of the Chartered Institute of Transport (CILT) on him
Suleiman, whom the President of CILT, Professor Michael Filani described as a most deserving transport professional for the fellowship of the institute, disclosed that there are tremendous and rewarding opportunities for discerning investors in infrastructure and development of Greenfield ports in the Nigerian port system.
In the lecture themed, “Achieving friendly seaport under a concession regime”, he noted that port management is complex and capital intensive and therefore the Nigeria port industry needs consistent and friendly fiscal policies to achieve the necessary efficiency of a world class user- friendly port.
The NPA boss said that since the on-going port reform started, safety and security has been enhanced through security at the individual terminal, adding that there is also reduction of human and vehicular traffic.
He said that more jobs have been created in the port industry during the review period, even as there is reduction in the turnaround time, waiting time, cargo dwell time, while the system has recorded appreciable record in procurement of new plants and equipment.
Engr. Suleiman listed as highpoints of the port reform, investment in simplification of documentation and cargo tracking devices, and reduction of theft and damages in the ports.
He disclosed that NPA is living up to its responsibility as the landlord/technical regulator of the port, saying the organisation is not resting on its oars to ensure that port users transact their businesses in the ports seamlessly.
According to him, the NPA has already commenced provision of rail access to the ports, decongesting ports access roads, as well as pushing for early passage of the new Port Act which is currently with the National Assembly for consideration.
Engr. Suleiman, who said that then NPA has acquired land for future port development, also said that NPA is considering generating and distributing power in the ports under the Federal Government’s Independent Power Programme (IPP). NPA has equally upgraded its ICT facility and now has a common network with the Nigerian Customs Service and other port users, the managing director disclosed.
According to him, the cost of doing business in Nigerian ports is now competitive as “issues of various surcharges (as it relates to the multiple government agencies that were recently sent out of the ports by government), that add up to port cost is now a thing of the past as he is confident that the sacking of the agencies from port is final.
“They cannot come back again as they used to do in the past, whenever we send them out because this time around, we have a president who has put his foot down and said things must be done properly, “he noted.
CILT Nigeria, which said that since 1953 when it came to Nigeria, the event was the first time it was conferring its fellowship on just one person in an event, stated that Engr. Suleiman merited it considering his landmark in NPA, both at lower position and in his present capacity as the helmsman of the organization.
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