Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), has called on private investors in the Maritime and Ports sector to move in to invest in Nigerian ports, promising to be accommodating.
NPA managing director, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, who made the call yesterday in Port Harcourt, while speaking with journalists after a facility tour of Onne and Port Harcourt ports, also disclosed the planned investment in Tin-Can and Apapa ports, adding that the move was to reposition ports operations.
The tour also took the NPA boss to the facilities of Intels Nigeria Limited, Onne Multi-Purpose Terminal, West Africa Container Terminal (WACT), Indorama, Notore Plant and the premises of Port Harcourt Port.
Dantsoho stated that the maritime and ports sector has good potential for the country, adding that the benefits of the sector can be achieved if there is massive private companies’ investment.
He said what is required to achieve the potentials of the marine economy is for primate companies to invest in infrastructure, equipment, technology and more investment in human capital.
The NPA boss said: “What is required is investment from private sector. Nigeria, for us to improve capacity in ports and Maritime industry, we need private sector investments in infrastructure, investment in equipment, more investment in technology and more investment in human capital.
“Where we are is a good example of achieving that. This place was started like five years ago. It was a green field. But now you can see how activities are taking place here.
“There are vessels here that have berthed. As a matter of fact it is a multiple purpose terminal, meaning that there is the are receiving cargoes for general, meaning you can have fertilizer, cement, sugar.
“We are also receiving containerized cargoes. Meaning that you have ships that are container specific. This is how to grow the Maritime and port industry by getting people from private sector to invest.
“This is a good example of where this can lead us and take us to. It can take the industry to a more advanced level so that we can compete with our neighbouring countries.
“There is nothing they are doing that is out of the world. It is just investment. So the NPA as an institution, we are going to create or add to what we are doing to attract this private sector investors.”
Dantsoho, however, promised that the authority would ensure protection and safe working environment for the private investments to operate.
He said: “We are going to be more accommodating, we are going to be more encouraging to them so that they can come and invest, so we can say Nigeria is really leading the West and Central Africa in this sector.
“We are calling on all stakeholders to be with us in this struggle so that by the end of the day, Nigeria will claim it’s rightful position in the Maritime and Ports industry in Africa.”
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