Bayo Akomolafe 
Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has embarked on operational and investment campaign tour of Onne and Rivers Port complexes to enable them complete profitably.
This was in continuation of its resolve to galvanized the port concessionaires and terminal operators into increasing their in-country investments on infrastructure equipment.
The Managing Director of the authority, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho said on Thursday that his visit to the ports was coming on the heels of the current administration’s readiness to deepen Nigeria’s competitiveness in vessel and cargo traffic to match the needs of Nigeria’s huge population of over 200 million inhabitants.
The tour covered BRAWAL Oil Services Ltd, Onne Multipurpose Terminal, INTELS, INDORAMA,West African Container Terminal (WACT) and NOTORE and the terminals at Rivers Port Complex, Port Harcourt
Dantsoho explained that with the quantum of investments our maritime neighbours, especially along the West & Central African Coast are attracting, Nigerian ports could only stay competitive if they redouble their investment drive by providing requisite infrastructure and equipment to attract the sizes of vessels that scale up Nigerian cargo throughput that would adequately serve the huge population
He added: “As far as this management is concerned we have the mandate of the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola to create the enablers for increased investment, and we are poised to do just that.
“Let me seize this moment to reiterate my earlier plea to investors to take maximum advantage of the investor-friendliness of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to infuse greater Investment and be assured of guaranteed return on investment.”
The managing director, who was recently elected as the first ever Nigerian President of the Port Management Association of West & Central Africa (PMAWCA) added that the reality of Nigerian ports processing 2 million containers of cargoes to service a population of over 200 million was an anomaly that must be urgently addressed through deployment of huge investments.
