Nigeria needs port efficiency, not multiplicity of seaports, says Amiwero

 

Maureen Aguta

Nigeria does not need a proliferation of seaports to strengthen its maritime competitiveness but efficient existing facilities and a major deep-sea hub capable of attracting regional cargo and transshipment business, the National President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Lucky Amiwero, has said.

Amiwero said building several ports without adequate infrastructure, cargo-generating industries, connectivity and efficient operating procedures would not enable Nigeria to compete effectively for cargo in the West and Central African sub-region.

He spoke in Lagos on Monday at the unveiling of publications documenting his interventions on national economic issues, organised to mark his 73rd birthday.

According to him, the priority should be to urgently upgrade existing port infrastructure and redesign the country’s port system based on a comprehensive assessment by experienced maritime professionals.

He called for a committee of maritime experts to review the operations and infrastructure of Apapa, Tin Can Island, Lekki Deep Sea, Calabar, Port Harcourt and Delta ports and determine the appropriate structure for Nigeria’s port system.

“There is a need for us to really set up a committee to look at the whole thing — Lekki Deep Sea Port, Apapa Port, Tin Can, Calabar Port — so that we can redesign our port system,” he said.

Amiwero said Nigeria was losing transit and transshipment cargo to Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic and Côte d’Ivoire despite its large consumer market and significant share of cargo in the region.

“We have almost 78 per cent of the cargo within the West and Central African sub-region. Where are we benefiting? We have a lot of ports,” he said.

He cited Ghana as an example of how port efficiency, rather than the number of ports, could determine cargo throughput.

“How many ports is Ghana having? Just one. The other one is a fish port. Their throughput is higher than Nigeria because of efficiency,” he said.

Rather than multiplying ports, Amiwero said Nigeria should develop a major deep-sea port into a transshipment and load centre capable of accommodating large vessels and serving domestic and regional cargo.

“In a country like Nigeria, you only need one seaport. One deep seaport, which is a transshipment centre, a load centre, so that that seaport can now accommodate Nigerian goods,” he said.

He, however, raised concerns about infrastructure and connectivity at the Lekki Deep Sea Port, particularly its rail connection and capacity to attract and efficiently handle the largest container vessels.

The NCMDLCA president also urged the government to put maritime professionals at the centre of port policy and administration, warning against excessive political interference.

“We must bring in experts, not politicians, to change the narrative of the port industry. Our port is suffering because of lack of procedures that are not properly enhanced,” he said.

Amiwero further advocated increased transshipment activity, saying Nigeria was losing the economic benefits associated with mother vessels to neighbouring countries.

“Which of the countries benefits from the mother vessels? Togo, Benin Republic, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire,” he said.
He also called for greater clarity on port concession and lease arrangements, particularly facilities whose agreements had expired, as well as improved coordination among government agencies and other stakeholders.

Amiwero said the concentration of cargo in Lagos was largely a reflection of the location of major manufacturers, businesses and consumer markets, arguing that ports could not generate sustainable cargo without corresponding economic activity.

“Lagos is the market. You have the manufacturing sectors here. Most of the companies you are talking about are here,” he said.

The NCMDLCA president said the publications unveiled at the event documented his interventions over the years on issues affecting importers, licensed customs agents, manufacturers, government agencies, finance, budget, transportation, trade and investment, Customs, the Nigerian Ports Authority, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and maritime labour.

He added that the breadth of his interventions over the years could not be fully captured in the publications unveiled at the event.