Nigeria’s Ports Reforms To Deepen Private Sector Participation

The Director-General,
    Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr Benjamin Dikki, has said that the reforms in the port sector were geared towards deepening the private sector participation in Nigeria’s economy.
This is contained in a statement by the Head, Public Communication, BPE, Mr Chigbo Anichebe, in Abuja, recently.
It said the reform had repositioned the ports as modern and efficient system to service the demands and exploit the opportunities of modern trade and sea freight.
Prior to the reform, Dikki said, the sector was characterised with infrastructure deficit, with a dominant public monopoly in charge of design, development, maintenance and operations of the ports.
“The  Nigerian  Ports  Authority’s governance framework at the time was characterised by unusual degree of centralisation, limited autonomy,  government  interference and burdensome bureaucratic structure.
“NPA’s role as a regulator and an operator was also confusing, he said.
The DG said the result of these was inefficiency in ports operations, with the attendant high cost of processing imported goods and the inability of Nigeria’s exports to compete in the international market.
“The ports were inefficient and unattractive to shippers and were bogged by long turnaround time for cargo and ships, insecurity of cargo, low productive labour force in NPA.
“The multiple government agencies in the ports also caused corrupt practices and excessive charges.”
Dikki said it was against that background and the recognition of the role of transport and ports in modern economic growth and development that the government undertook the reform.
He added that at the moment, the Nigerian ports were in line with international best practices.