Business
NPA Orders Rehabilitation Of Ports’ Roads
The Managing Director of
Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Alhaji Sanusi Lamido, has ordered the rehabilitation of the road linking Apapa and Tin Can Island Ports.
The directive is contained in a statement by Malam Isa Suwaid, Principal Manager, Public Affairs of NPA, in Lagos.
It said the managing director gave the directive while receiving members of Shipping Association of Nigeria (SAN), who paid him a courtesy visit in Lagos.
Lamido said the directive should be carried out immediately.
“The managing director assured that the authority would mobilise both human and material resources to ensure that palliative maintenance works start without delay.’’
Earlier, Chairman of the shipping association of Nigeria, Mr. Val Usifo, assured of their cooperation for a common objective in the maritime sector.
Meanwhile, the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), threatened to shut Apapa and Tin-Can Island ports until the perennial gridlock on ports’ access roads was addressed.
The President of ANLCA, Mr Olayiwola Shittu, issued the threat during interview with newsmen.
He said his members were getting ready to down tools, “as the situation had become unbearable.’’
Shittu said that a crucial meeting of the association had been scheduled for June 30, adding that the strike would be one of the major issues to be discussed at the meeting.
He said with the gridlock, economic activities in the ports had collapsed and man-hour loss enormous.
“It takes about four days for a trailer to have access to load at the terminals.
“Without solution soon, our association may have no option than to close the ports for fuel tankers to take over permanently’’, he said.
The President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Mr. Eugene Nweke, also expressed concern about the gridlock which he attributed to lack of a National Transport Development Plan.
Nweke said that the absence of a such plan had aggravated the traffic problem on ports’ access roads.
He said the gridlock had affected Turn Around Time of trucks; Ship Turn Around Time; led to high cargo congestion and cargo diversion to neighbouring ports.
The NAGAFF chief said the daily man-hours had been hindered; pointing out that this had affected production.
He said the situation had also hindered movement of raw materials to industries which had a spill-over effect on bank loans and overdraft facilities obtained by manufacturers.
Nweke said the situation had also rendered port users and service providers idle, adding that on the whole, government’s revenue had nose-dived.
He said the whole problems emanated from bad port access roads, poor traffic control and corrupt practices at ports, dilapidated trucks, and increased cargo volume without the corresponding cargo handling facilities.
Nweke also mentioned lack of automated gate system, absence of truck parks, unregulated empty container holding bay, lack of intermodal transport system, lack of interconnectivity and wrong location of tank farms.
He suggested firm traffic control, stemming of vessels to bonded terminals; use of empty container holding bays by shipping companies and establishment of a modern truck park.
The NAGAFF chief said as a long term measure, there should be gradual relocation of tank farms from Apapa and the evolution of a rail transport link between the ports and the Inland Container Depots.
President of Shippers’ Association, Lagos State, Mr. Jonathan Nicol, in his contribution said that a state of emergency in the maritime sector was inevitable due to gridlock which had created huge revenue loss for government.
According to Nicol, the volume of containers cleared from Apapa and Tin-Can ports had reduced by more than half, saying that “under normal atmosphere, Apapa port should deliver between 300 to 400 containers daily.’’
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday said 33 banks have met new minimum capital requirements under its recapitalisation programme, raising a combined N4.65 trillion to strengthen the financial system.
The apex bank disclosed this in a statement marking the end of the exercise, which commenced in March 2024 and drew participation from domestic and foreign investors.
The statement was jointly signed by the Director of Banking Supervision, Olubukola Akinwunmi, and the Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Hakama Sidi-Ali.
The statement said “Over the 24-month period, Nigerian banks raised a total of N4.65tn in new capital, strengthening the resilience of the financial system and enhancing its capacity to support the economy.”
The regulator said local investors accounted for 72.55 per cent of the funds, while international investors contributed 27.45 per cent, reflecting continued confidence in the sector.
Commenting on the outcome, the CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, said in the statement, “The recapitalisation programme has strengthened the capital base of Nigerian banks, reinforcing the resilience of the financial system and ensuring it is well-positioned to support economic growth and withstand domestic and external shocks.”
It added that while 33 banks have complied with the new thresholds, a few others are still undergoing regulatory and legal processes.
The statement noted, “The CBN confirms that 33 banks have met the revised minimum capital requirements established under the programme.
“A limited number of institutions remain subject to ongoing regulatory and judicial processes, which are being addressed through established supervisory and legal frameworks.
“All banks remain fully operational, ensuring continued access to banking services for customers.”
The apex bank stressed that the exercise was executed without disrupting banking operations, ensuring uninterrupted access to services nationwide.
It further stated that key prudential indicators have improved, particularly capital adequacy ratios, which remain above global Basel benchmarks.
The minimum ratios were set at 10 per cent for regional and national banks and 15 per cent for banks with international licences.
The bank also said the recapitalisation coincided with a gradual exit from regulatory forbearance, a move it said improved asset quality, strengthened balance sheet transparency, and enhanced overall stability.
To preserve these gains, the CBN said it has reinforced its risk-based supervision framework, mandating periodic stress tests and adequate capital buffers for banks.
It added that supervisory and prudential guidelines would be reviewed regularly to strengthen governance, risk management, and resilience across the sector.
“The successful completion of the programme establishes a stronger and more resilient banking system, better positioned to support lending, mobilise savings, and withstand domestic and global shocks,” the statement said.
The Tide learnt that foreign capital inflows into Nigeria’s banking sector rose by 93.25 per cent year-on-year to $13.53bn in 2025, up from $7.00bn recorded in 2024, amid the ongoing recapitalisation drive by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics capital importation report showed that the banking sector remained the dominant destination for foreign capital, accounting for $13.53bn of the total $23.22bn recorded in 2025, representing 58.26 per cent of total inflows, up from 56.81 per cent in 2024.
The surge reflects heightened investor interest in Nigerian banks as they raised fresh capital to meet new regulatory thresholds introduced by the apex bank, with industry-wide recapitalisation activities driving large-scale inflows across all quarters of the year.
However, the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE) recently raised concerns over weak credit flows to small businesses despite recent banking sector reforms.
The CPPE, led by a renowned economist, Dr Muda Yusuf, acknowledged that the ongoing bank recapitalisation exercise by the CBN has strengthened the financial system, but warned that the benefits have yet to translate into meaningful support for the real economy.
The facility will be disbursed through participating Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), which will in turn extend the loans to their customers, particularly SMEs, as they directly interface with businesses at the grassroots level.
The Executive Director of COMCIN, Mr. Micheal Ogbaa who represented the Chairman, Dr. Iredele Oyedele (FCA, FCCA), said the initiative is designed to strengthen micro-lending institutions and expand access to finance for grassroots entrepreneurs, particularly women and youths in the informal sector.
Ogbaa explained that COMCIN does not lend directly to individuals but works through its network of microfinance and cooperative institutions, which in turn provide loans to end users.
“We came together to advocate for the microfinance ecosystem. Commercial banks often exclude people at the grassroots, but our members are positioned to reach them. This facility will empower them to do more,” he said.
He noted that the loan scheme offers low interest rates and flexible repayment plans, making it more accessible to small business owners.
According to him, about 90 percent of beneficiaries are expected to be women, who play a key role in sustaining families and driving economic activities at the local level.
“Our focus is on traders, service providers, and players in the informal sector. These are the real movers of the economy. By supporting them, we are strengthening families and contributing to national development,” he added.
Ogbaa disclosed that eligible SMEs with proven integrity and business track records could access up to N5 million each through participating micro-lending institutions. The rollout has commenced in Lagos and will extend to Abuja, Enugu, and other regions, including the South-West, South-East, and North-East.
He said 12 micro-lending institutions have already benefited from the scheme, while 85 applications are currently being processed under the pilot phase.
“Our target is to reach at least 100,000 SMEs nationwide. We are building a platform that connects funding partners with credible micro-lending institutions, creating a reliable channel for financial inclusion,” Ogbaa said.
He added that COMCIN is also working to attract larger funding pools from development finance institutions and private investors, noting that successful implementation of the pilot phase would boost confidence and unlock more capital for SMEs.
“We have seen encouraging testimonies from early beneficiaries. As we demonstrate transparency and efficiency, more institutions will be willing to channel funds through us,” he said.
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