Why Nigeria’s Emerging Deep Seaports Will Be Unviable

At the event which was organized by the Federal Ministry of Transportation to mark the International Maritime Organisation(IMO) annual World Maritime Day, Hassan  raised salient questions begging answers in the nation’s transportation sector. They include; “What is the transport sector doing to diversify Nigeria’s economy? Every time we talk about having new ports because the ports in Apapa should be resting at the moment. But, where is the linkage to these new port projects across the nation?”

The Shippers’ Council boss also asserted that the development of deep seaports in neighbouring countries would mean additional competition which may cause more Nigerian cargoes to be routed through those ports especially as they are always waiting for Nigeria to take policy decisions before rejigging theirs.

“Neighbouring countries like Benin, Cameroon and Ghana are waiting for us to pronounce our budget and policies for shipping and they would take defensive actions because they’re all developing deep seaports and they are also building inland ports to enable them divert our cargoes. We should develop new deep seaports and have the right policies”, Hassan  said.

Hassan  stated that even if Nigeria is talking about regional integration, there is always going to be competition and Nigeria has to get its preferences right at the national level before talking about regional integration.

“Look at the development of seaports in Nigeria, where is the place of linkage at Lekki for example? How would the cargoes leave the ports? We can’t rely on the roads that we have in Lekki at the moment. We ought to look at these issues and look at inter-agency collaboration. This is a collective responsibility and all stakeholders have to sit down to decide the headway for transportation in this country.

According to the Chairman, Nigerian  Ports Consultative Council, Otunba Kunle Folarin, it isn’t just the location of the ports that threatens to attract Nigerian cargoes to neighbouring ports; there are several other issues such as the cost, efficiency and quick turnaround time.

Consequently, Otunba stressed that Nigeria should work towards ensuring its ports are competitive and efficient.

Speaking on the multiplicity of deep seaport projects across the country, Otunba admonished the promoters of these deep seaports to take an in-depth look at the competitive advantage.

Other germane recommendations in the WMD communique include: The call for an inland waterways trust fund model to boost private sector participation in the provision of inland waterways services and requisite policy and legislative framework that would provide enabling environment for inland water transport to thrive.

The report noted that to integrate effective usage of Inland Waterways to the transportation chain, there is need for sustained channel management inclusive of dredging, hydrographic survey, channel marking, etc.; that there should be healthy collaboration between host states and the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) which the constitution has saddled with the development and regulation of the Nigerian Inland Waterways.

The communiqué also recommended that to attract private sector participation in inland ports and inland transport operations, government should explore the option of brown field concession by providing basic infrastructure and that seamless integration between inland port and sea port should be encouraged for effective modal shift and over reliance on the road mode.

Adequate data on traffic flows was proposed to facilitate operational projections and development of traffic sharing between the various transports modes with the river information services (RIS) model specifically recommended.

The communiqué also highlighted the need to present the draft National Maritime Transport Policy to stakeholders in readiness for its approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), which will drive a coordinated development, regulation and collaboration of the various agencies in the maritime industry and terminal operators were admonished to support the inland waterways for the development of new logistics platform.

In another development, as part of efforts to resolve the unending traffic mayhem on the Oshodi-Apapa road, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has sited the Lagos International Trade Fair as an ideal location for a container holding bay.

A delegation from the Transport Ministry in Lagos, led by Engr. Olatunde Davies made this claim when they paid a working visit/ inspection of the available space at the Trade Fair Complex on Wednesday, last week.

Engr. Davies who is also part of the steering committee by the Lagos State government to resolve the accessibility of the Apapa port roads, revealed that the committee had considered declaring a state of emergency at Apapa.

“The Lagos State government has met with various stakeholders at the Apapa port and the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is concerned. The Lagos International Trade Fair has been highlighted as a location that could accommodate the empty containers that are responsible for clogging the Apapa port roads. This was in our communiqué and we are here to take pictures, and see the facility on ground” Davies said.

Engr. Davies also lamented that the major impediment to resolving the Apapa traffic crisis would be the inability of the State Governor to take decisions that would affect Federal Government agencies like the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

However, he expressed optimism that the fact that the ruling party at the Federal level and the State was the same, All Progressives Congress (APC). He added that this advantage would enable the Presidency and the State government quickly reach an agreement to resolve the Apapa traffic situation.

Meanwhile, the Legal Counsel to Aulic Nigeria Limited, concessionaires of Trade Fair Complex, Barr. Dan Udeh who received the Transport Ministry delegation, stated that the facility at the Complex could effectively accommodate over 200,000 containers.