Reps Committee commends NPA for unprecedented revenue generation remittance

Maureen Aguta

The House of Representatives Committee on Ports and Harbours has commended the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) for its unprecedented revenue generation and remittance into the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).

The committee also praised the authority for its efforts in infrastructure and equipment renewal at the nation’s seaports despite challenges beyond its control.

Speaking during the press conference to conclude the 3-day oversight visit of the Committee to the NPA, the Chairman of the Committee, Rt. Hon Nnolim Nnaji, noted the urgent need to reconstruct TinCan Island and comprehensively rehabilitate the Apapa, Rivers, Warri, Onne, and Calabar Port Complexes.

“The management and staff have performed exceptionally well in the area of unprecedented revenue generation and remittance to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) of the federation and in the area of infrastructure and equipment renewal,” he said.

Further, the Chairman noted, “We have seen the level of decay at the Ports and we agree with the management of NPA on the need to urgently reconstruct TinCan Island and comprehensively rehabilitate the Apapa, Rivers, Warri, Onne, and Calabar Port Complexes, respectively.

“We have also noted that the insistence by Nigerian Customs on 100% physical examination of cargo negates the objectives of trade facilitation and ease of doing business, although we must acknowledge the efforts of the current leadership of Nigerian Customs. We will provide legislative support where necessary for the automation of cargo examination through the use of scanners.”

“On the way to Lekki Deep Seaport, the Committee got a firsthand experience of the pressing need for the government to ramp up efforts at deploying multimodalism in the evacuation of cargo from the ports to eliminate the delays associated with overreliance on road transport.”