Why Sea Transportation Is A Failure In Nigeria

The Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has said lack of good rail network and road transport system to seaports in the country was making the sea transport ineffective.

He also said the efficiency of a port was measured by the average quantity of import and export cargo it handles on a single day. Peterside who spoke at Crans Montana Forum Club of Ports, in Brussels Belgium, according to statement by Head, Corporate Communications of NIMASA, Isichei Osamgbi, noted that the quality of the rail and road transport connection to a port has an impact on the cargo handling of the port. He said: “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 current leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, through the Federal Ministry of Transportation, was 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.