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2 Lagos Ports Control 65% Of Nation’s Import Cargo — NPA
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Port Authority, NPA, Mohammed Bello-Koko, said that the Tin-Can Island Port, TCIP and Lagos Port Complex, LPC, handle between 60 and 65 percent of cargoes coming into the country, a situation which may have contributed to the strain in the ports infrastructure.
Against this backdrop, the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, NSC, Emmanuel Jime, said until the focus was shifted to the development of Nigeria’s port infrastructure to international standard, it would be difficult to achieve the objective of becoming the maritime hub in the West Africa sub-region.
They spoke at the breakfast meeting organized by the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria, MARAN, in Lagos.
Bello-Koko, in his address, said that the reconstruction of the Tin-Can Island key wall was top on the agenda of the infrastructural renewal of the NPA which covers all ports across the country.
Koko who was represented by General Manager, MD’s office, Mr. Ayo Durowaye, said: “These ports have been in existence since 1977. Between TCIP and LPC, in terms of volume, they are handling between 60 and 65 percent of the cargo that are coming into the country, what we have in terms of the effect on the facility is not something that is new, but what we are talking about is the steps that have been taken to ensure that we keep those facilities running.
“The reconstruction of the Tin Can Island key wall is top on the agenda of the infrastructural renewal of NPA which covers all ports across the country.
TCIP is one of the busiest in the country. Ports in Lagos are handling beyond their capacity in the last 20 years in terms of cargo handling. When you look at the pressure on them you expect that we should begin to do something about it and indeed we are doing something”.
On his part, Jime said: “There is no debate about the quality of the infrastructure that is available in this industry. If we are going to be competitive and live up to our dream of becoming the maritime hub in the West Africa sub-region, then it is clear to me that unless and until we focus squarely on the development of our infrastructure and make them of international standard, we would never be able to achieve our objective.