The Minister of National Planning Commission, Dr Abubakar Olanrewaju has said that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has performed effectively and efficiently in the discharge of its statutory responsibility within the present concession regime.
He reiterated the Federal Government resolve to diversify the economy through the tapping of the enormous maritime potentials of the nation as an alternative source of revenue.
Dr Olanrewaju was speaking in Lagos after a familiarization tour of the Ports in the Western Zone, under the NPA.
According to the minister, “with the challenges facing the oil sector we must start to look for alternative means of increasing our revenue and the best sector that need government encouragement is the maritime sector”.
Olanrewaju stated that the maritime sector must be efficient while both the federal Government and the operators would synergize collectively to harness various opportunities within the sector.
The Minister commended the NPA and other stakeholders for putting effort in motion towards overcoming both human and traffic congestion within the Port environment being one of the characteristic of the industry before concessioning.
He said that the Federal Government would not fail in its responsibility in expanding the Port access road as well as modifying mechanism to boast maritime operation adding that the Federal Government would do everything possible to strengthen the NPA to perform her statuary roles for the sector to witness maximum growth.
He said that with the disappearance of diverse hurdles that hitherto affect Port Operations gives credence that the concessioning of most of the terminals was actually done in the national interest.
The Minister also stated that by putting in place various internal security surveillance systems in the Ports, clearance of cargoes would significantly improve which would also translate to increase on the Federal Government revenue profile.
He assured the management of NPA and other stakeholders that the National Planning Commission and indeed National Council on Privatization would do everything possible to make its finding especially on the various challenges facing the industry known to the Federal Government for consideration.
On the team of the Honourable Minister was Mallam Ibrahim Kashim, Director, Post Privatization Management, Bureau for Public Enterprises while the various Port Managers of Lagos Port Complex (LPC) and Tin Can Island Port (TCIP) and Chief Executive Officers of Terminal Operators were on ground to guide the team to their locations.
