Eromosele Abiodun
The management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has stated that it will partner the Japanese government especially in the areas of technical and manpower support and ensuring a regime of operational efficiency at the nation’s seaports.
This assurance was given by the Managing Director of NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman who was represented by the Executive Director Engineering and Technical Services, Professor Idris Abubakar, at a business meeting in Lagos with visiting First Secretary, Embassy of Japan in Nigeria of the Economic/Development Cooperation, Mr. Gaku Sato.
Bala Usman informed stakeholders that the NPA was aware of the smooth relationship and technical collaboration hitherto existing between the Japanese government and the NPA over the years especially in the area of training.
She added that the, “NPA management was desirous of nurturing this dispensation to maturity.â€
According to her, “we look forward to more training especially in the area of Information Communication Technology (ICT) and human capital development useful to our staff in view of the changing trends in the sectorâ€. This, she added, has impacted positively in the productivity of the organisation’s operations across board.
She called for a more robust synergy between both nations with the view to promoting the goals of the present management concerning trade facilitation within sub-Sahara Africa and beyond.
Usman assured the visiting secretary of the Japanese Corporation that NPA management was upholding the federal government’s 25-year Port Master Plan which serves as a guide towards the implementation of the various policies and development in the sector aimed at making our ports a hub in sub-Sahara Africa.
Earlier in his address, the Japanese representative in Nigeria on Economic/Development and Cooperation, Sato said the Japanese government was exploring trade and investment opportunities in Nigeria through a most efficient infrastructure and manpower development especially in the Port environment noting that the sector play a vital role in the life of any nation through windows and corridors of trade facilitation.
Sato further reiterated that at present, over 30 companies of Japanese origin are presently doing business in Lagos in the area of manufacturing, car/motor bike assembling and entertainment aside other trading establishment. He wished this would grow with the renewed and reinvigorated synergy amongst the two countries – Nigeria and Japan.
He solicited for NPA’s assistance through the provision of its blue print and platform to aid other teams expected in the country soon to access the readiness of Management in the area of future collaboration and development in the Port sector thereby stimulating the economy.
He enthused that the Japanese government through the Japanese International Corporation Agency (JICA) was willing to undertake the refurbishment of the Apapa Power sub-station in order to contribute towards a seamless Port operations having carried out similar projects in Jebba and Abuja.
