• Jonathan pledges to transform sector
FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo has advised the Federal Government to address high charges and congestion at the Lagos seaports as part of strategies to curtail diversion of cargoes to neighboring countries.
Speaking in Lagos Tuesday at the opening ceremony of the 2013 Nigeria Maritime Expo (NIMAREX), Obasanjo said that despite the concessioning, port users were still facing some challenges.
Also, he criticised the liquidation of the Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL), noting that a viable maritime sector plays an important role in the development of the economy.
According to him, indigenous ship owners should be commended for their steadfastness and commitment despite various challenges.
He recalled how the 19 ships that were in the NNSL fleet when he left office in 1979 were sold, lamenting: "20 years after in 1999, there was no ship left. Where are the 19 ships? If we are going to get it right, we must refer to history. History points to where we are going. One was sold as scrap for half a million dollar. Government later bought same ship for $2 million. It was repaired for a million dollar. "
Earlier, President Goodluck Jonathan, represented by the Minister of Transport, Idris Umar, said the number of agencies at the ports have been streamlined from 14 to seven while a 24-hour ports' operation has been introduced.
"We have equally awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of 1.6km access road in the Apapa Port Complex, which has reached over 70 per cent completion.
"In addition, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) recently carried out some rehabilitation work on the Creek and Wharf roads to ease traffic to and from the ports," Jonathan said.
Referring to the theme of the 2013 Expo, Nigerian Maritime: Invest Now, Jonathan said it was apt and in conformity with the Federal Government's transformation agenda.
He noted: "As part of government's commitment to transforming the economy, numerous reforms were introduced.
"In the maritime sector, government has undertaken comprehensive port reforms that have made NPA a landlord and regulator, delineated the ports into terminals and concessioned them to private investors. This has led to steady improvement in operational efficiency.
"Government has also committed substantial resources in dredging and maintenance of channels in Lagos and Bonny and a channel management company has been formed following approval by the President for managing the Calabar channel, while procurement processes for the capital dredging of the channel is in progress.
"In the same vein, government is poised to provide additional infrastructure in Apapa, Tin-can, Warri and Onne Ports."
According to him, the annual event initiated in 2011 has provided an ideal forum for displaying an assemblage of various maritime products, new technologies, services and expertise, and also provided a platform to open up various business opportunities in Nigeria's growing maritime sector.
Nigeria, the President said, generates about 70 per cent of the ship traffic, cargo throughput and volume of trade in the West and Central Africa sub-regions, while Nigeria's volume of trade has steadily risen from 82 million tons of cargo in 2008 to 93.7 million tons in 2009 and 100 million tons in 2012, with container volume of 1.4 million TEUs in 2011.
In her welcome address, Chairman of NIMAREX Planning Committee, Mrs. Margaret Onyema Orakwusi, said the annual event - now in its third edition - offers a holistic business experience by combining conference and exhibitions that will update the audience on the state of the maritime industry in Nigeria and connect key companies in the maritime sector to international operators.
"Strategically, the expo is aimed at attracting serious investors, who will explore available opportunities and open up business for the industry," Orakwusi said, adding that to attract investments, there must be a favourable and secure environment, "as this is sine qua non for the promotion of investment in any country."
She stressed that, "another worrisome area that needs to be addressed if we are to succeed in attracting more investments is the high cost of doing business at our ports.
"It is on record that with a population of about 160 million people, over 70 per cent of cargo throughput in West and Central African sub-region comes through the Nigerian ports and Nigeria constitutes the largest market in the sub-region.
"However, most of these cargoes are lost to neighbouring competing ports due to high cost of doing business in our ports."
The Guardian