By Kelvin Kagbare

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said that NPA under his watch is committed to attracting more investors to invest in port infrastructure in order to achieve higher efficiency in sea port operations even as he listed  greater investments, the Port Community System, PCS, and Automation as critical elements in attracting increased port patronage.

Dantsoho told newsmen that NPA is desirous that  terminals have electronic integration under the Port Community System, which will ultimately lead to the launch of the National Single Window (NSW).

His words “This is a major project of the federal government and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has been focused on delivering the project”

The MD who was on tour of the Apapa and Tin Can Ports complexes charged terminal operators to take advantage of the investor-friendly environment and opportunities put in place by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Speaking on what the government is doing Dantsoho said “I would like to implore all terminal operators to take advantage of the investor-friendliness of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and invest more. Given Nigeria’s huge population, Nigerian Ports definitely deserve greater investment than what is currently obtainable”

“In alignment with the World Ports Sustainability program, this Management is keen on Ports eco-friendliness, and we will insist on investor compliance with this global imperative. On our part as  regulator, we assure you of all the facilitation necessary to protect your investment and guaranteed returns

“As you are aware, with the commitment of the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy,  NPA has concluded the final phase of the Port Community System (PCS) which will provide the linkage backbone for the forthcoming National Single Window (NSW) project.

“We must translate our vision of being the maritime logistics hub for sustainable Port services in Africa to reality as quickly as possible as the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports are very strategic to the Nigeria’s economy”

On plans to achieve port automation, the NPA boss said  “We will begin implementation of PCS. We will be on the same page with our terminal operators, other government agencies and our stakeholders. APM Terminals is 100 percent ready for the PCS and ABTL is set”

While commending  terminal operators for investing in equipment and infrastructure, he task them to do more to actualize FG purpose of concessioning the ports.

“Compared to the last 20 years, or even more, the reform that ended in 2006 was a clear departure from when NPA was doing both the cargo and the shipping part of the business. Right from 2006, NPA is structured in the way that we are concentrating on the ship side of the business, private sector are involved in the cargo handling, and the essence of bringing the terminal operators is for Nigeria to be able to have a more advanced infrastructure and equipment without using public funds.

“By bringing in private sector operators, such as terminal operators, what is expected of them by Nigeria is for them to improve infrastructure and equipment, that is the key objective. And as you can see, we have achieved part of that objective”

“In Apapa, we have a company or terminal operators like APMT, like ABTL, and then at Tin Can, we have Five Star Logistics and others, they are doing their best to improve infrastructure and equipment”

“Much has been done but we are not where we want to be or that we have achieved 100% of the goals we set out to achieve; we are looking to see how we can improve the relationship, how we can integrate so that we can move faster and because of that, government is trying to see how it is going to effect it as soon as possible.”

He further disclosed that the purpose of the tour was to have face to face interaction with the staff of the organizations and stakeholders on the field even as He promised to visit the Eastern ports in  Port Harcourt, Calabar Warri and others.