NPA boss opens up gains of reforms, says over $86m Chinese investments attracted
Contrary to insinuations that her performance was not salutary to investment drive, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) under the leadership of Hadiza Bala Usman has revealed that within the couple of months in office, it has attracted investments worth over $86m from the China Harbour Engineering Company at the Lekki Deep Sea Port.
The explanation was made to situate the unfounded allegation by the Committee of Maritime Professionals (CMP) that NPA’s current management under Ms. Bala-Usman was hindering investment in the maritime sector as a result of some of its reform policies.
The group had alleged in a statement published in THISDAY that since the NPA boss was appointed last year, she had taken steps that had either made investors to leave the sector, or scared potential investors from coming into Nigeria.
But giving a clearer insight in a statement by its Principal Manager, Public Affairs, Ibrahim Nasiru, NPA noted that the policies and procedures introduced since Usman assumed office were borne out of firm commitment to actualising the change agenda of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. It added that there were other investments in the pipeline running into billions of dollars.
The federal agency averred that “In the same vein, the NPA is currently working with DP World to actualise the organisation’s determination to invest in Greenfield port opportunities in this country. The plan is to develop a DP World Terminal in the Lagos area and a suitable site is currently being sought”.
“Both the brownfield as evident in the agreement on the Bulk Terminal and the Greenfield are investments worth billions of United States Dollars. Tanger Med Port of Morocco has equally indicated interest to invest in the development of Greenfield Terminal, Logistics Base and warehousing and a variety of other opportunities running into billions of dollars.”
Though NPA only made the needed clarification, it however, called on all stakeholders in the maritime sector including the CMP to work in the best interest of the industry at all time.
