The Director-General of Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has identified lack of good rail network and road transport system to seaports as the bane of sea transportation in Nigeria.
He also said the efficiency of a port is usually measured by the average quantity of import and export cargo it handles on a single day.
A statement by the Head, Corporate Communications of NIMASA, Isichei Osamgbi, quoted Peterside as saying at Crans Montana Forum Club of Ports, in Brussels, Belgium, that the quality of the rail and road transport connection to a port has an impact on the cargo handling of the port.
“The efficiency of a port is measured by the average quantity of import and export cargo it is able to handle in a day. A port with bad road and rail facilities will have low cargo throughout, all other factors remaining equal. While ships start and end their journey in a port, the cargo in most cases originate and end up far from the ports.”
He said some port managements, particularly in developing countries, do not still understand the level of impact an effective intermodal connectivity has on the efficiency of their ports.
He told the international audience that Nigeria, under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, through the Federal Ministry of Transportation, is investing heavily on linking all major sea ports and airports to the cities through rail and good access roads to further boost the economy.
“The Nigerian government under the leadership of President Buhari is investing heavily in using rail to link both the seaports and the airports to all major cities in the country. Our quest to enhance the quality of the rail and road transport connection to all ports in Nigeria is to ensure seamless transportation of goods and services through the ports,” he said.