The League of Maritime Editors (LOME) has faulted Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State over a statement credited to him criticizing the efforts of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to deepen operations of the southeastern ports for increased trade facilitation.
Specifically, the seaports include Warri in Delta State, Onne in Rivers State, and Calabar in Cross River State, where the NPA has been encouraging shippers to patronize instead of relying solely on the Lagos ports. This overconcentration has continued to cause traffic congestion over the years, forcing the authority to introduce the electronic call-up system.
The President of the League of Maritime Editors, Mrs. Remi Itie, and the Secretary General, Mr. Felix Kumuyi, in a statement, said it was wrong for the governor to interfere with the operations of the NPA in a bid to stop other seaports in the country from being developed.
The League described Sanwo-Olu’s position as a clear demonstration of obsession with Lagos dominance in an attempt to halt the aspirations of other regions.
Part of the statement from the League read: “The League of Maritime Editors (LOME) feels strongly embarrassed by the vituperation of Governor Sanwo-Olu and recommends that the idea of Lagos as Nigeria’s economic destiny be re-evaluated.
“Nigeria is a federation, not a fiefdom. The idea that Lagos alone must remain the unrivaled commercial gateway is both arrogant and unsustainable. For decades, the over-concentration of port activities in Apapa and Tin Can has created monumental congestion, corruption, and inefficiency. Truck extortion, racketeering, and a broken e-call-up system are not inventions of the Nigerian Ports Authority; they are direct consequences of Lagos’ failure to manage its own infrastructure and regulatory environment.
“To now resist the decentralization of port operations to Warri, Onne, or Calabar is to insist that Nigeria’s economy remain shackled to Lagos’ dysfunction. Equity demands decentralization.”
