NPA seeks more roles in Nigeria’s development
Managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Omar Suleiman has said that Nigeria may not be able to achieve rapid infrastructural development and the desired Gross Domestic Product (GDP) unless the NPA is given more roles in the development strides of the nation, Daily Independent reported.
The NPA boss who was speaking in Lagos at a send forth and reception programme in honour of the former and present chairmen of the Board of the Bonny Channel Company (BCC), Abdul Salam Mohammed and himself respectively, stated that any economic policy in the country, which does not take appropriate cognisance of NPA’s vital role is incomplete.
But general perception is that NPA should perhaps ponder on how effectively it has played its role at the ports in Nigeria instead of emphasizing how important its role is in the development process of the nation.
This perception was necessitated by the poor state of the ports despite the seven percent surcharge still being collected by the authority on goods cleared from the ports as ports development levy.
However, Mr. Suleiman said that with the present port concession regime, the NPA has appreciated the enormous tasks confronting it in order to cope with the challenges of its new role and the expectations of the stakeholders, the port users and the general public.
He regretted that in the past, the functions of the NPA in facilitation of trade and movement of goods across the country were threatened because of the seeming neglect of the authority.
He noted that the ports are strategic to the success of the transformation agenda of government to which his management is wholly and irrevocably committed in ensuring the realization of the dream of President Goodluck Jonathan.
He therefore advocated that government’s future economic and infrastructural policies should encourage the development of the nation’s seaports, considering their roles as the gateway to the nation’s economy.
He stated that NPA was currently involved in encouraging deep sea ports development in strategic parts of the country, considering the tremendous potentials such projects would have on the nation’s economy, adding that the Organisation was determined to make a success in the projects when they come on stream.
Suleiman replaced Abdul Salam Mohammed as the chairman of the board of BCC, established by NPA, by virtue of his appointment as managing director.
At the occasion, Mohammed, who was the immediate past managing director of NPA argued that there has been steady and consistent growth in the maritime industry especially with what he described as the remarkable improvement in vessel turnaround time and container dwell time.
He however affirmed the importance of a dredged channel, saying that a port is as good as its channel. He noted that a good port will attract business to the nation and praised the foresight of the former NPA managing director, Adebayo Sarumi for establishing the BCC, a dredging company.
