Mohammed Bello-Koko, the managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), has said that the port of Tin-Can is collapsing, reiterating the need for immediate repairs to be carried out on the port.
According to him, there is no imminent collapse but if something is not done in the next few years, there will be problems.
He said the Authority and the terminal operators have been managing it and doing palliative but it is time that they completely rehabilitate it.
Speaking during a conversation on Channels Television News in Lagos, the NPA boss said the authority also needs to rehabilitate some parts of Apapa Port.
Bello-Koko, who said that there is no port in Nigeria that does not need the reconstruction of some of its facilities added that there is a current estimate of between $560 million and $800 million to reconstruct the failed portions in all the ports in the country.
According to him, if the NPA decides to leave Apapa port for much later, it will not need up to $800 million but reconstructing all the failed portions in all the ports will require about $800 million.
“We also need to reconstruct the breakwaters in Escravos breakwater in Warri. It has collapsed for over 10 years and we just finished the bathymetric test and other surveys that would enable us to reconstruct the breakwater. There is also a collapse jetty in Calabar, Warri Port, Rivers Port and Onne Port. So, you find out that there is no port that does not need the reconstruction of some of its facilities,” he explained.
He said that the full automation of port activities has enabled the NPA to increase its revenue collection from N300 billion to N361 billion. He added that it also increased its contribution to the consolidated revenue fund by over 10 billion to about N91 billion, and will strive to do better this year.
