Mohammed Bello-Koko, the managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, claims that Nigeria has yet to fully use the prospects provided by the upstream marine sector.
Bello-Koko said this at the Tuesday convention of the Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria in Lagos.
Speaking on "Nigeria and the Evolving New Port Order," Bello-Koko was represented by Oluwayemisi Oyinlola, General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications, NPA.
In Bello-opinion, Koko explains why the marine industry hasn't impacted the Nigerian economy much.
He said: “Maritime activities are made up of downstream and upstream operations.
“Downstream operation is principally made up of port operation and bunkering, while the upstream consists of insurance, connectivity logistics and shipping activities.
“Ironically, Nigeria operates only in the port operation aspect of the downstream operation. The port operation is not performing optimally due to several inherent challenges.”
Bello-Koko pointed out that to reposition the Nigerian economy, particularly the maritime sector, the managers of the economy needed to pay requisite attention to the sector.
He said, "For Nigeria to maximise the benefits of blue economy, downstream and upstream operations must be fully explored.
“Shipping business must be taken beyond mere vessel and cargo handling at the port, but must include other services such as bunkering, insurance, hinterland connectivity and others.”
He said the complexity of the shipping industry and the need to become more competitive and cost-effective necessitated its continual change and adaptation to meet the demands of world trade.
He said whether Nigeria was ready for emerging maritime trends like digital sensors, larger mega-ships, and environmentally friendly shipping.
He also mentioned the use of solar and wind power on ships, as well as the use of liquefied natural gas as fuel.
He noted the NPA's attempts to promote commerce and move the ports toward competitiveness, including licencing 37 Satellite Truck Parks, electronic truck traffic call-up systems, and rail links.
To unite all parties involved in the port community and enhance the ease of doing business at the ports, he said, NPA has launched the process of building a Port Community System.
He pointed out that the Federal Ministry of Transportation and the International Maritime Organization provided technical support for the procedure on behalf of the government.
Bello-Koko claims that the NPA's responsibility is to establish the port in a competitive position, emphasising high-quality port services and reasonable pricing.
“This underpins trade facilitation ideals, which will ultimately expand the frontiers of trade and foster economic growth,” he said.