Infrastructure, security concerns blamed for low cargo volume in eastern ports

Worried by importers’ apathy to designating their consignments to seaports in the eastern part of the country, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has identified lack of infrastructure and security concern as the major factors responsible for low cargo throughput in the eastern ports.

The eastern ports include Delta, Calabar, Rivers and Onne.

Speaking at the Nigeria Port Consultative Council (NPCC) meeting held in Lagos recently, Hadiza Bala Usman, managing director of the NPA, listed that insecurity, shallow channels leading to the ports, bad roads and lack of rail infrastructure in the states where ports are located, as the major challenges affecting the volume of activities.

Usman, who noted that for the eastern ports to attract cargo, there must be improvement in the state of infrastructure to aid port business, pointed that there is no need for shippers to route their cargoes to ports where they will be difficult to reach their warehouses and end users.

“In terms of security, there has been restiveness in the areas where eastern ports are located, and no investor will like to toy with his or her goods. Hence, they prefer Lagos ports where security is guaranteed, unlike in the Eastern ports,” Usman said.

Explaining further, Usman said that Calabar port is strategically located to service theNorth-East and the North-West parts of the country, but the link roads to these areas from Calabar are bad. “The situation of the road makes it difficult for articulated vehicles to ply the route for movement of cargo.”

She however appealed to the relevant federal government agencies responsible for infrastructure development to assist the NPA in the provision of the needed infrastructure for smooth cargo movement in the Eastern zone.

“The coastal communities need to ensure security and less restiveness among the youths in order to attract investment in their area even as the NPA will in partnership with the Nigerian Navy and the Marine Police, continue to work in order to restore sanity on Nigerian waters,” she assured.

Uzoamaka Anagor-Ewuzie