Lagos Ports Risk Imminent Collapse, Need Urgent Rehabilitation – NPA

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), over the weekend, disclosed that the Tin-Can Island and the Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, risk collapse if not rehabilitated soon.

This was disclosed by the managing director of NPA, Mohammed Bello-Koko, during an interview with Channels TV monitored by LEADERSHIP.

According to Bello-Koko, the Port of Tin Can is collapsing, and if nothing is done in the coming years, there will be many problems related towards doing business there.

The NPA helmsman also said, Escravos, Calabar and Onne Ports are in need of significant rehabilitation alongside Tin Can to the tune of $800 million.

Bello- Koko, who cited that other parts of Apapa port also needs to be rehabilitated, said: “the port of Tin Can is collapsing, it is not an imminent collapse, but in the next few years, if nothing is done there will be problems. We have been managing it and doing palliative and other jobs but it is time we rehabilitate it, we also need to rehabilitate some parts of Apapa.”

He added that the Tin Can rehabilitation needs to also be done alongside ports in the Niger Delta region from Escravos to Calabar, adding that, total costs could rise to $ 800 million.

He said: “we need to reconstruct the ‘breakwaters’ in Escarvos, it has collapsed for over ten years, and there is a collapsed jetty in Calabar, Warri, Rivers and Onne. There is no port that does not need reconstruction of some of its facilities, our estimates are between $560 to $800 million

“The gap is because if we decide to leave Apapa till much later, we do not need up to $800 million, but if you need to reconstruct Tin Can, we need that amount.”

He added that the NPA had increased revenue to N250 billion to N300 billion, citing that contribution to the CRF has increased to N91 billion, saying, ‘we believe this year we should do far better than that.’