NPA dey push for better ports wey go boost Naija economy

Chai! My people, if you no hear wetin happen for Naija ports recently, you dey miss! Na Abubakar Dantsoho, wey be the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), carry am come to dey yarn. E don talk say port modernisation na serious matter wey go help our economy grow like never before!

According to am, NPA dey manage navigation and safety, but plenty cargo operations don dey privatized to both local and international operators like MSC and APMT. As we get over 230 million pipo for Naija, our port system gats upgrade sharp sharp to fit our big big population wey dey grow. Wetin we need? Better leadership wey get vision and na wetin President Bola Tinubu don bring come! He even create one ministry wey go handle marine and blue economy matter, so NPA fit dey focus on wetin matter.

Now, make we talk about our port infrastructure. Abeg, no be small wahala dey here o! The ones wey we get, like Apapa and Tin Can, dey old like your great-grandma! Apapa port don dey waka for over 100 years. Even though e get plenty berths, dem dey very old! On top dat one, Tin Can self don dey run for almost 50 years, and since then, ships don change, technology don change, but our ports dey struggle to keep up.

Na why neighbouring countries like Ghana and Benin dey shine! Dem don build deep and better ports, as them don see road wey dey lead to success. For Naija, we get the population and the economy, but cargo dey waka go other countries because dem don step up. E be like say we get chance to turn am around, but we gats take action!

Next level be say International Association of Ports and Harbors dey support us to close the gap wey dey between us and other countries. Dem sit down think how to improve our ports matter, especially after di pandemic. Dem dey work with banks and World Bank to make sure say we go fit compete well. Na so dem also fit work with local and international partners to upgrade our port systems.

Omo, the challenges wey dey ground plenty, but we no fit compare ourselves to countries like Belgium or Netherlands. Our history and context different, and na so reform go take time. But as we dey focus on plans like Lekki Deep Seaport, we dey move forward to build new ports and attract investment.

For Nigeria to grow, our ports gats dey ready to handle imports and exports well. We dey push for agriculture and mining so that we fit maximize wetin dey come in and go out of our ports. The potential dey plenty, and we gats execute am well!

As IAPH don support us, we dey see bright future ahead. Their leadership dey focus on making sure say developing countries like Naija dey get the support wey we need to grow. We dey plan to modernise and strengthen our ports, and with correct cooperation, foreign investors go come dey eye us!

So, my people, make we jolly as we dey waka towards a better port system wey go make Naija shine for global trade! The future dey bright, and together, we go make am happen.