The Federal Government’s National Maritime Transport Policy has huge potentials and vast opportunities to unlocking the nation’s blue economy, Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala-Usman, has said.
Ms Bala-Usman said a well-articulated National Maritime Transport Policy would not only support local content development in the maritime industry, it would also create good value jobs for the people.
She said the much-anticipated policy would attract high-impacting foreign direct 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 in the maritime industry, 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,” Ms Bala-Usman said.
The NPA boss also called for greater synergy and collaboration between the public and private sector operators to advance the interest of the maritime industry in the country.
On the recently launched Electronic Call–Up System for Trucks by the authority in Apapa, Ms Bala-Usman said the web application would control the movement of trucks in and out of the ports in an orderly and safe manner on a first come, first served basis.
She listed some of the benefits that would accrue to the sector and the country as a result of the arrangement to include quick truck turnaround and reduction in port cost and congestion.
Other benefits include transparent traffic management system and a business-friendly and globally competitive port system in Nigeria. (NAN)
