The Managing Director/CEO of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr Mohammed Bello-Koko, has disclosed that plans are underway to rehabilitate the ports across the country.
The ports to be rehabilitated are Tin Can Island Port, Apapa Port in Lagos, Onne Port in Rivers State, and Calabar Port in Cross River State.
According to Bello-Kolo, the rehabilitation will enable the delivery of seamless and cost-effective border operations which is crucial to Nigeria’s achievement of maritime hub status.
The NPA boss, who stated this in an interview with TVC monitored by Persecondnews, stressed the need for improvement in critical infrastructure, especially the reconstruction of Tincan port quay walls and the rehabilitation of other ports.
He also disclosed that the rehabilitation of the ports will gulp about $800 million.
He said: “What we have been doing were palliative works. We were trying to manage the situation but it has gotten to a situation where palliative works are no longer obtainable.
“What we did was an assessment where we checked the infrastructure and we took a decision that it is time we fully rehabilitate and reconstruct these ports.
“Tincan is the one in the worst state, a terrible situation. There are some quays also in Apapa that needs rehabilitation, the same thing in Calabar, Onne, Warri, virtually all the port locations
“Our assessment showed that we need about $800 million to be able to rehabilitate these port locations.
Speaking further, Bello-Koko said contrary to reports, the NPA has not increased its tariff for about 30 years.
“The last time NPA increased its tarrif was in 1993. The cost of doing business in the ports could be high or increasing, but it is not attributable to the rates and tariffs of NPA.
“What we did in 2012 was to merge, harmonise the tariffs because they were too many.”
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