Members of the Board of Directors of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, have added their voice to the perennial traffic gridlock on roads leading to Lagos Port Complex in Apapa and Tin-Can Island.
A statement by the NPA’s General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications Division, Engineer Adams A. Jatto, quoted the chairman of the Board, Emmanuel Adesoye, as saying so at the end of their tour of the terminals within the western axis on Friday.
The chairman promised to do everything possible to find a lasting solution to the problem.
According to him, the board was aware of the problem being experienced by the Terminal Operators, Port users, and the general public as a result of the traffic gridlock.
He disclosed that the NPA was working in synergy with other government agencies such as the Federal Ministry of Power, Work and Housing with a view to cushioning the pressure on the roads leading to the Port.
Mr Adesanya also assured the public of the NPA’s effort to rejuvenate the rail, call-up system as well as expand the Port access roads.
‘’The Board is conscious that Badges are currently being used to transfer cargoes from TinCan and Apapa Ports to Ikorodu and Kirikiri Lighter Terminals.
“This has drastically reduced the clog on the wheel of progress on the lane to greater service delivery at the Nation’s seaports,” Mr Adesanya said.
NPA board chairman stated that on completion, the Lekki Deep sea Port which is a product of Private Public Partnership and great collaboration would help in the movement of Cargoes, expressing hope that the port would be a reference point within the Gulf of Guinea.
Mr Adesoye, therefore, reiterated the commitment of the Board and Management of the NPA to provide modern port infrastructure in all seaports in the country, in order to encourage sufficiency in the system.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Port Manager, Tincan Island Port Complex, TCIP, Engineer Emmanuel Akporherhe, called for the renewal of some of the infrastructure in the port, saying that some of the existing infrastructures in the Port were over 40-years old.
According to him. The port within the First Quarter of 2019 had birthed a total of 213 ships with a tonnage of 6,778,397 with a Cargo throughput of 4, 790, 282, which was an improvement of 2018.
