NPA MD Dantsoho Calls For Urgent Expansion Of Tin Can And Apapa Ports

NPA MD Dantsoho Calls For Urgent Expansion Of Tin Can And Apapa Ports
…….lauds Adeyanju’s transformational leadership

L-R MWUN President General,Dr.Adewale Adeyanju presenting Sourvenir to NPA MD,Dr.Abubakar Dantsoho,during the commissiong of the MWUN remodelled administrative building,in Lagos on Wednesday.

By Frank Odinukaeze

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has called for immediate action to expand and modernize Nigeria’s port infrastructure to better reflect the country’s population and economic potential,even as he praised Dr.Adeyanju’s transformation of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria into a responsive and responsible organisation.
Speaking at the commissioning of the newly remodeled ITF secretariat of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) on Wednesday, Dr. Dantsoho highlighted the significant disparity between Nigeria’s population and its cargo throughput capacity.

Dr.Dantsoho noted that ,”Nigeria is a country of over 200 million people, yet we are only bringing in 2 million containers annually. This is not a true reflection of our population or economic potential. It is unacceptable that smaller neighboring countries like Ghana and Benin are handling more containers than we do. This must change,”

The NPA MD,and president PMAWCA,emphasized the need for modernization, particularly the expansion of the Tin Can Island and Apapa Ports, which he noted were built in 1977 and 1958, respectively.
He described these facilities as outdated and incapable of supporting the level of trade necessary for Nigeria to thrive internationally.

“The government, under the leadership of Mr. President and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, is committed to expanding Tin Can and Apapa Ports and modernizing their infrastructure. This will happen soon because Nigeria cannot continue to trail behind smaller countries in West Africa,” Dr Dantsoho said.

The NPA MD also stressed the importance of equipping ports with modern machinery and leveraging technology to improve efficiency and competitiveness. He said,”If we want larger vessels to dock at our ports, we must invest in the right equipment and technology. Without these, we cannot compete globally or attract the volume of trade our economy needs,” .

Dr. Dantsoho assured stakeholders of the federal government’s commitment to addressing these challenges, with plans already in motion to upgrade existing ports and develop new ones. He said increasing cargo capacity would lead to more productivity, job creation for the youth, and greater international recognition for Nigeria.

He affirmed that a well motivated workforce is key to achieving set goals, pledging the NPA’s commitment to staff welfare, and urged stakeholders to contribute to revenue generation.
“When workers are motivated and their welfare is prioritized, productivity improves. However, for us to meet these demands, we need more revenue. It’s a collective effort,” he argued.

Dr. Dantsoho who was full of praise for th president General of MWUN,Dr Adeyanju, lauded him for transforming the union and fostering peace in the maritime sector.
He said, “I commend my brother for his leadership. The union has shown that with the right motivation and collaboration, we can achieve great things and leave a legacy for future generations,” .

Earlier in his welcome address,MWUN President General, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, expressed gratitude to Dr. Dantsoho for his support and historic visit.
“Today is our greatest day, and if I should look back at the history of MWUN, your are the first MD,to visit our Secretariat. That shows that you are worker- friendly.” Adeyanju said.
The MWUN leader reflected on the former state of the union noting that in the past people regarded the members of the Union as touts. He said” We are not ‘agbero’ (touts), anymore. We have been transformed to a more refined organisation thus ending the era of thuggry, era of banging tables and shutting down port operations all these have been stopped under my watch.
“So MD,your are welcome,and I congratulate you for your new appointment as the president of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA).

He said Dantsoho’s appointment would further advance the progress of the maritime sector in the region.
High points of the ceremony were the commissioning of the remodelled administrative building by the NPA MD,and the presentation of souvenir to the MD by the President General of the MWUN,Dr Prince Adewale Adeyanju fnli.

Dr Dantsoho was accompanied on the visit by top management team of the NPA among which included, General manager operations,Mr.Charles Okaga, General Manager, Corporate and strategic communications ,Mr Ikechukwu Oyemekara amongst other top Officers.