The Federal Government promised to give the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), all necessary backing to address the factors responsible for the underutilization of ports and other national assets at the eastern part of the nation.

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola disclosed this FG’s revolve, yesterday in Rivers State in his address at the commissioning of 4.8km road “D” project and Marine crafts at Onne Complex.

Oyetola said the road infrastructure constructed by the NPA and the mooring boats are another testament to the commitment of the ministry under his watch to maximize the entire gamut of opportunities in the maritime sector.

The minister asserted that the six mooring boats which are used to safely berth and unberth vessels is FG’s own way of further enhancing the security and safety of the maritime space.

He emphasised that the facilities would deepen the efficiencies and full capacity in utilization of the strategic advantages of Onne and other Port Complexes in the eastern axis and as well constitutes one of the tools deployed in actualizing the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) assigned to the Ministry under the Presidential Performance Bond.

Oyetola said: “Although issues concerning the potentials of Onne have always dominated my correspondences with the NPA, I must say that this visit further convinces me that so much more can be achieved if we invest more in our Port infrastructure such as we are doing with the over One (1) Billion USD worth of reconstruction/rehabilitation investment in our Ports including Onne which is at its conclusive stage.

“Providing the enabling atmosphere and deepening investor confidence to patronize the Eastern Ports of Onne, Rivers, Warri and Calabar is top on the Ministry’s agenda.

“This is why I was delighted to learn that Onne and Calabar Port Complexes have met the requirements of the International Organization for Standardization and are thus ISO certified. This shows we are doing something right, but we cannot rest on our oars until all other Ports are certified,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello-Koko while commending FG’s commitment in sustaining the revitalisation of the ports in the zone, noted that the Phase 4B houses are significant portion of the untapped potentials of the Onne Port Complex.

Bello-Koko said the completion of the Road “D” which is the major arterial link to the new Berths 9, 10, 11 & 12 at Federal Ocean Terminal (FOT) and the vast expanse of reclaimed land already leased for port development, is a link to growth and will open new business opportunities and increased revenue for the national economy. (Vanguard)

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