Nigeria controls 78% of W/African cargo, but loses transshipment business — NCMDLCA

The National President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Lucky Amiwero, has said Nigeria accounts for about 78 per cent of cargo in the West and Central African sub-region but is failing to reap the economic benefits due to inefficiencies in its port system.

Amiwero, who lamented the loss of transit and transshipment cargo to neighbouring countries, including Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic and Cote d’Ivoire, called for a comprehensive review of the nation’s port system to improve efficiency and competitiveness.

He spoke on Monday in Lagos during the unveiling of publications documenting his interventions in various national economic issues, organised to mark his 73rd birthday.

The customs agents’ leader said despite Nigeria’s substantial share of cargo in the sub-region, the country was losing out on the economic benefits of maritime trade because of inadequate infrastructure, poor connectivity and inefficient port operations.

“We have almost 78 per cent of the cargo within the West and Central African sub-region. Where are we benefiting? We have a lot of ports,” he said.

Amiwero called for the establishment of a committee of maritime experts to review the operations and infrastructure of the Lagos Port Complex, Tin Can Island Port, Lekki Deep Sea Port and Calabar Port.

He said the review would enable Nigeria to redesign its port system and address the challenges preventing it from attracting more cargo and transshipment business.

“There is need for us to really set up a committee to look at the whole thing — Lekki Deep Sea Port, Apapa Port, Tin Can, Calabar Port — so that we can redesign our port system,” he said.

Comparing Nigeria’s port operations with those of Ghana, Amiwero argued that efficiency, rather than the number of ports, was critical to attracting cargo and improving throughput.

“How many ports is Ghana having? Just one. The other one is fish port. Their throughput is higher than Nigeria because of efficiency,” he said.