Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, has called on investors to take advantage of ongoing efforts to diversify the economy to invest in the Eastern ports.
Dantsoho, who spoke during a two-day working visit/ facility tour of Onne and Port Harcourt ports, Rivers State, urged investors, particularly those in maritime and ports business to take the advantage to move their businesses to Nigeria, promising to be accommodating.
He said the federal government aims at enlarging the capacity of the maritime sector, stressing that the government is concerned about the growth of the sector.
He said: “We have said what we require is private companies that can give us good facilities, development human capacity building and Corporate Social Responsibility.
“The focus of the government is to expand and deepen our capacity in the Maritime industry. It is our God’s given area. This government is concerned about growing this industry.
“We are going to invest huge money to improve Tin-Can and Apapa. And this will begin soon. We are going to invest money in technology. It is important we have the best technology.
“We are going to be more accommodating, we are going to be more encouraging to them so that they can come and invest, so we can say Nigeria is really leading the West and Central Africa in this sector.
“We are calling on all stakeholders to be with us in this struggle so that by the end of the day, Nigeria will claim its rightful position in the Maritime and Ports industry in Africa.”
He said that maritime and ports sector have good potential for the country, adding that the benefits of the sector can be achieved if there is massive private companies’ investment.
His words: “What is required is investment from private sector into Nigeria. For us to improve capacity in ports and Maritime industry, we need private sector investments in infrastructure, investment in equipment, more investment in technology and more investment in human capital.
“Where we are is a good example of achieving that(talking about Onne Port complex). This place was started like 25 years ago. It was a green field. But now you can see how activities are taking place here.
“There are vessels here that have berthed. As a matter of fact it is a multiple purpose terminal, meaning that they are receiving cargoes for general purpose, meaning you can have fertilizer, cement, sugar.
“We are also receiving containerized cargoes. Meaning that you have ships that are container-specific. This is how to grow the Maritime and port industry by getting people from private sector to invest.
“This is a good example of where this can lead us and take us to. It can take the industry to a more advanced level so that we can compete with our neighbouring countries.
“There is nothing they are doing that is out of the world. It is just investment. So the NPA as an institution, we are going to create or add to what we are doing to attract this private sector investors.”
He, however, promised that the authority would ensure protection and safe working environment for the private investments to operate.
Dantsoho visited the Intels Nigeria Limited, Onne Multi-Purpose Terminal, West Africa Container Terminal, West African Container Terminal (WACT), Indorama, Notore Plant and the the Premises of Port Harcourt Port Area 1.
In his remarks to the investors during the visit, the he said: “With the quantum of investments our maritime neighbors especially along the West and Central African Coast are attracting, we can only stay competitive if we redouble our investment drive in order to provide requisite infrastructure and equipment to attract the sizes of vessels that scale up our cargo throughput to adequately serve our huge population.”
“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 GCFR to infuse greater Investment and be assured of guaranteed return on investment.”
