Moses Uwagbale
Ms Hadiza Bala-Usman, Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), has identified the National Maritime Transport Policy as key to unlocking the huge potential and vast opportunities in the nation’s blue economy.
Bala-Usman said this in a statement Ibrahim Nasiru, NPA Assistant General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications, issued to newsmen on Sunday in Lagos.
According o her, a well-articulated National Maritime Transport Policy will support local content development and create good value jobs.
She noted that the much anticipated policy would attract high-impacting direct foreign investments, within the context of the Federal Government’s Economic Growth and Sustainability Agenda.
”We look forward to a policy with clear Standard Operating Procedures that will guide our various operations, and that will be strengthened by critical legal framework and legislation from the National Assembly.
”The policy should engender a competitive maritime domain with clear rules on institutional governance, service capacity and accountability,” she said.
The NPA boss also called for greater synergy and collaboration between the public and private sector stakeholders to advance the interest of the maritime industry in the country.
On the recently launched Electronic Call–Up System for Trucks, by the authority, Bala-Usman said the web application would control the movement of trucks in and out of the ports in an orderly and safe manner.
According to her, this will be on a first come, first served basis.
She listed some of the benefits that would accrue to the sector and the country to include quick truck turnaround and reduction in port cost.
Others are transparent traffic management system and a business friendly and globally competitive port system in Nigeria.
