World Bank rates Nigeria’s port concession model best in Africa

Experts from the World Bank, Nigeria office have judged the port concession model of the Federal Government as the best in Africa.

The team disclosed this during a visit to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA)’s head-office in Lagos. Reacting to the bank’s positive assessment during his meeting with World Bank and International Finance Corporation (IFC) officials, the Managing Director of the authority, Mohammed Bello Koko, said that the port concession exercise had clearly enhanced Nigeria’s goal of becoming the leading blue economy in Africa.

He added that his administration’s focus was to facilitate a port-led industrialisation in the country through infrastructural renewal and deployment of modern technology tools.

NPA’s General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications, Ibrahim Nasiru, noted in a statement that the World Bank team was led by Olatunji Ahmed and Christian Mulamula, Principal Investment Officer – Infrastructure (IFC).

Bello-Koko said that the authority had duly appreciated the excellent support provided by the bank under its Private Participation in Infrastructure (PPI) scheme.

He said: “We at NPA fully appreciate that efficient port operations will enable our government and businesses to provide services that are affordable and sustainable, leading to reduced poverty and inequality.

“We look forward to better collaboration with the bank in the development of more mega or deep-sea ports across the country with world class facilities, high quality and efficient operating systems, like the Lekki Deep Seaport is now our priority.

“With the quality of attention being paid by the Federal Government to port infrastructure renewal, we are very confident that moving goods to and from Nigerian ports would soon be top of the range, cost efficient and comparable with the leading ports of the world. “We have made remarkable progress tackling the intractable traffic gridlock on the port access roads with the deployment of an electronic call-up system for trucks, called ‘Eto’

“There is room for improvement, the Apapa axis is good but, on the Tin-Can axis we’re calling for a quick fix before the rains.”

The managing director informed the World Bank team that the 25-Year Port Master-plan, which had earlier suffered some glitches, was back on course, stressing that the NPA would collaborate with the bank in the operationalisation of the port master-plan.

A Senior Transport Specialist with the bank, Ahmed, assured his host that the World Bank Group would continue to partner Nigeria and other interested countries to develop transport infrastructure and services that were safe, green, efficient and inclusive. He stated that the bank was happy to partner with the Authority over the years and intends to continue to provide assistance to the Authority in the journey towards becoming the preferred destination of cargo in Africa.