'Nigeria to Implement full Automation of Existing Ports'- Oyetola

... NPA Hosts 43rd Annual Council and 18th Managing Directors' Round Table of PMAWCA

In deepening the readiness for the exigent demands and widening opportunities inherent in African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Nigeria will be implementing a policy of full automation of existing ports as well as pursue a thorough going port modernization programme that involves comprehensive rehabilitation and reconstruction where necessary.

The Minister of Marine and Blue economy, Honorable Adegboyega Oyetola, disclosed this today at the 43rd Annual Council and 18th Managing Directors' Round Table of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa(PMAWCA), held in Lagos, saying the Roundtable came at a period the continent is eager and determined to reposition the Ports for competitiveness and has resolved to transform maritime potentials into actualities.

Honourable Oyetola said the implementation of a policy of new ports development as demonstrated by the Lekki Deep Seaport, which apart from being the first Deep Seaport in Nigeria is the first fully automated port at take-off. 

He said with the theme of the conference: 'The Role of Ports in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)' the cream of industry experts assembled at the Round Table are enough to do justice to the critical subject at hand and will provide the needed insight through knowledge sharing for policy makers in the maritime sector to work assiduously towards the realization of ports potentials.   

Stressing the importance of PMAWCA, Oyetola said the Association is an organization whose mission is to contribute to improvement in the quality of port activities and services of its members in order to promote sustainable socio-economic development of their respective countries and the sub-region.

"Some of the strategies the Association employs to achieve its mission includes cooperation and knowledge sharing on best practices in port management and operations in order to deliver optimum value ship and cargo owners. 

"Also, leveraging members’ expertise through technical committees and programs that create platforms focused on resolving complex port and maritime industry concerns and building greater efficiency and sustainability for ports in the sub-region especially as the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement to which Nigeria is signatory gains traction," he noted.

Oyetola stressed that the success story of Lekki Deep Seaport will govern the operationalization of the already approved Badagry and Ondo Deep Seaports as well as the upcoming Snake Island and Burutu Ports.    

His words, "It is worthy to mention that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is committed more than ever before to exploring the entire gamut of opportunities in the marine and blue economy ecosystem including coastal tourism. 

"As some of us are aware only last month, we commissioned the Mission to Seafarers Nigeria in a bid to provide a facility of international standard to provide social, psychological and emotional support necessary for peak performance for crew men and women who sail into our ports from all over the world. 

"I urge the presenters, discussants and delegates to have an open mind in unravelling issues that hitherto limit us from repositioning our ports for competitiveness.

In his remarks Mr. Mohammed Bello Koko, Managing Director, Nigerian Port Authority(NPA) expressed delight for successfully hosting the regional meeting of great minds aimed at maximizing the potentials of rich maritime endowments.

According to him, the theme of the occasion “The Role of Ports in the African Continental Free Trade (AfCFTA)” speaks to the frontline responsibility of Ports in the trade facilitation value chain. 

"The need to translate our marine comparative advantages into opportunities for the collective prosperity of our respective countries has never been more pressing than it is now," he said.

Bello stressed that the demonstrated global leadership of ports in the contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), shows that the sustainability of the world especially Africa rests heavily on the sustainability of our Ports.

"Apart from being linked by water, countries in West and Central Africa are linked by challenges and opportunities. Thus, given the increasing realization of the leverage that economic cooperation confers in the international arena, we will be doing great disservice to ourselves if we fail to maximize this unity through the cooperation of our ports."

To him, "the specific objectives of AfCFTA which includes the progressive elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade in goods, liberalization of trade in services and cooperation amongst others is pregnant with a lot of opportunities for wealth creation and prosperity which I am convinced this conference will equip us to safely midwife for the benefit of our respective national economies with domino effect on the economy of the sub-region if our ports cooperate.

"As an organization that appreciates the catalytic role of PMAWCA in promoting Ports’ cooperation, the Nigerian Ports Authority will continue to embrace partnerships and support policies and action steps arising from the insightful policy-shaping meetings and technical sessions that will dominate the next few days.

"The visionary creation of the new Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy to supervise Nigerian Ports by His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the clarion call for more audacious initiatives made last week by the Honourable Minister His Excellency Adegboyega Oyetola during the commissioning of our newly reconstructed Mission to Seafarers facility, has re-energized our resolve to invest more in order to  harness more ideas from operational think tanks such as the PMAWCA Harbour Master /PFSO Network and PMAWCA Women Network where the Authority has over the years funded relevant employees for capacity building."

He further commended PMAWCA Secretariat for sustaining this annual platform of cross fertilization of ideas and knowledge sharing for mutual development of our respective countries and the advancement of global trade, adding that delegates and discussants should brood upon the seminal statement of global statesman, Franklin D. Roosevelt that “competition has shown to be useful up to a certain point and no further, but cooperation which is the thing we must strive for today, begins where competition leaves off”