THE Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Mohammed Bello-Koko, has allayed fears by stakeholders that the emergence of Lekki Deep Sea Port may signal the death of Lagos Port Complex, LPC, and Tin Can Island Port, TCIP.
Meanwhile, Chairman, Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria, STOAN, Princess Vicky Haastrup, said that Nigeria’s rising population requires new and more ports.
They said these during the League of Maritime Editors, LOME, 2022 Annual Retreat/Lecture and Awards with the theme: “Lekki Deep Seaport: Identifying Gains, Challenges and Potential Threat to Lagos Ports.” Bello-Koko who was represented by Assistant General Manger Operations, NPA, Mr Ayodele Durowaye, said: “There seem to be this morbid fear by stakeholders that the emergence of Lekki port may signal the death of LPC and TCIP and they perhaps may become tourist spot. This is simply not true.
“There is no doubt that operationalization of Lekki port would be a game changer not only for NPA operation but for the national economy at large”.
“It is therefore important that necessary infrastructure be put in place to optimize the benefits and guarantee the positive impacts.
“It may be necessary for NPA management to create requisite synergy with relevant bodies towards addressing observable operational constraints. It would equally be necessary to engage in advocacy to sensitize various stakeholders in their respective roles in actualizing the provisions of these critical infrastructures.”
Haastrup who was represented by the Spokesperson of STOAN, Dr. Bolaji Akinola, said that the lekki port is not a threat to any of the existing ports.
She said: “As population grows port too must expand, so there is room for new port development in Nigeria, it is not a competition, they would complement each other, what Apapa and Tin Can cannot do Lekki would do”.
