Stakeholders finger shallow draft at Eastern Ports for Traffic Gridlock in Apapa

By ZION Olalekan

The President, Nigeria Chamber of Shipping (NCS), Mr Andy Isichei on Monday emphasized that the intractable gridlock on ports’ access roads, particularly the Western ports was negatively devastating the economy.

Isichei indicated this in Lagos, frowning on the Ports system inefficiency, and adding that the constant gridlock on ports access roads was also constituting serious danger to public infrastructure, having already turned vital bridges to parking lots.

He blamed the gridlock on port roads to many cargoes being designated for Western ports, coupled with the inability of the water channels or outer ports to accommodate bigger vessels.

Isichei said that freight limits, as regards maximum number of cargoes, contributed to the challenges facing the Eastern ports.

He equally posited that larger volume of cargoes would drive down costs; and called for constant dialogue amongst relevant stakeholders, noting that such would assist the Ministerial Committee on Ports to solve the challenges, as well as energise the economy of other ports.

He was particularly concerned with the state of investments which he noted was truly suffering.

He identified the port system as inefficient, saying it actually brought about congestion on both the sea and on the land.

Isichei concluded by urging the Federal Government to improve on road infrastructure, so as to stop the constant gridlock on ports roads.

© 2019, maritimemag. All rights reserved.