Expired Ports Concession Agreement Ready In 45 Days –Minister

The Federal Ministry of Transportation, on Friday, said that the concession agreement of five terminal operators that has expired will be ready in 45 days.

Speaking in Lagos during a tour of the Lagos seaports and terminals, the minister of Transportation, Engr Mu’azu Sambo, said all necessary factors have been considered into the new agreement which is expected to correct the shortcomings in the first concession agreement.

LEADERSHIP reports that five terminal operators whose lease agreement have expired include, ENL Consortium, operator of terminal C and D, at the Lagos ports complex, Apapa; Josepdam Port Service Limited, operator of terminal 1, 1a and 2; Port and Cargo, operator of terminal 6,7,7a, 8 and Five Star Logistics Ltd, operator of terminal 9 and 10 at the Tin-Can Island Port and AMS Terminal, Delta State.

stated that the government cannot wait for another six months before the concession agreement will be renewed.
“We are not going to wait for six months to renew the agreement, I do not have six months. I would make sure that the concessions are renewed in the next 45 days”
The minister, however, commended the efforts of terminal operators in transforming port operations over the years even as he appreciated the massive job opportunities availed Nigerians at the terminals.
His words: “At SIFAX alone, I have learnt that over 7,000 Nigerians have been employed. Each Nigerian employed means that a minimum of ten people are being cared for either directly or indirectly. So, this means that SIFAX is responsible for feeding over 70,000 Nigerians. This is just one terminal caring for this number of people and probably educating their children.”
The minister assured that he was going to give the reconstruction of the Tin Can Port dilapidated quay aprons priority attention.
According to him, the quay aprons of the port are getting destroyed due to total absence of maintenance.
Speaking, he said “I have advised the management of NPA, in the past, there is what we call; Programmed Preventive Maintenance, this is why at every port, we have an engineering outfit headed by the Chief Port Engineer.
“Part of his responsibility is to draw out preventive maintenance programmes for the ports under his jurisdiction every year, take it to the headquarters for consideration and approval, and that forms part of the forthcoming budget.
“If you carry out preventive maintenance, you would avoid a lot of these deterioration that is taking place, this is the truth, the sooner we accept it, the better.” He said.
Speaking further, Eng Sambo said “As you would recall that I was posted to the Federal Ministry of Transportation on the 6th of June, this is actually my second official assignment outside Abuja. I was in Kano for the Dala Inland Dry Port to declare it as a port of origin and destination. Today I am in Lagos, the maritime headquarters of Nigeria.
“The purpose of my coming to Lagos is to look at the ports and the related infrastructures which are supposed to support maritime activities. As you all know, the ports are the gateway to the nation’s economy.
“If we get our acts right, the maritime industry can replace the revenue from the oil industry, this is why we have come to see how we can support the port authorities in order to improve on their deteriorating structures” he said
Speaking earlier at the Ports and Cargo Terminal at Tin Can Port owned by SIFAX Group, Eng Sambo said the NPA had approached him with a devastating problem that the Tin Can Island Port is facing.
“I personally attached importance to the maritime industry, there are billions of dollars that can be earned from the maritime industry if we get our acts right”
Meanwhile, he maintained that automation is the only way to drive efficiency at the nation’s seaports and encouraged Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to intensify efforts geared towards automated processes.
“While we encourage NPA to improve automation, we are thinking seriously about the port community system because it is crucial to the development of the maritime sector. So, with automation and an efficient port community system, all port processes will be enhanced very soon,” Sambo said.
Sambo was accompanied on the tour of Lagos ports and railway by the managing director of NPA, Mohammed Bello-Koko; director general of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Bashir Jamoh; managing director of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Engr. Fidet Okhiria and executive directors of other transport agencies.