After months of speculation, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on July 12, 2024 unveiled Taraba-born Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho as Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, thus ending the two-year tenure of Mohammed Bello Koko. Bello Koko was drafted to replace Hadiza Bala Usman two years ago after she fell out of favour with her boss and former Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
Expectedly, Dantsoho’s appointment was greeted with jubilation by industry stakeholders who have been worried that for nearly two decades, ‘outsiders’ who had little or no knowledge about port operations were appointed to oversee such a critical national asset. The appointment of Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, who was an Assistant General Manager at the Servicom Unit of NPA and a core professional with rich credentials and the requisite tools for such a high profile assignment, came as a welcome relief. For several years, stakeholders have expressed concerns that the NPA had literally become dumping ground for failed politicians who now took refuge at Marina House. In so doing, this critical agency of Government was left in ruins as political, rather than professional and technical expertise informed Board and Management decisions.
For instance, since 2016, all appointments into the Executive Management cadre comprising the Managing Director and the Executive Directors have been appointees from the ruling APC. Dantsoho has an uphill task having to contend with an Executive Management team that has little or nothing to bring to the table in terms of requisite professional and technical experience in shipping and ports operations. The NPA Executive Management team which the Managing Director superintendents over comprises three people in charge of Operations, Finance and Administration as well as Engineering and Technical Services.
As Mallam Abubakar Dantsoho settles down to the intricacies of making Nigerian ports the first port of destination in the West and Central African sub region, here are the most critical issues which he must address to restore the confidence of stakeholders.
REVIEW OF PORT CONCESSION AGREEMENT
Since the Obasanjo administration concessioned Nigerian seaports about 21 years ago and the attendant poor performance of the terminal operators, pressure has been mounting on the management of the NPA for a review of the concession agreement. While NPA was believed to have entered into 21 concession agreements in 2006, three years after the ports were officially concessioned, modalities for a five yearly review as contained in the agreement has become a nightmare of sorts. Although only five of the concessionaires have formally applied for the renewal, inter agency squabbles have continued to trail the process. Those whose concession agreements are in contention include ENL (two terminals), Ports and Cargo (one terminal), Jesepdam(one terminal) and AMS located in Warri, Delta State.
The warring agencies include the Federal Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, the Bureau of Public Enterprises and the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, the Nigerian Shippers Council among others. For Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, this is certainly one hard nut to crack as the legal perspective to the definition of what a concession agreement entails and as opposed to a contract continues to move the hands of the pendulum back and forth. You must move swiftly to resolve this impasse.
PORTS AND INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADE
A recent ports logistics performance index conducted among African ports revealed that Nigerian ports are among the least ranked with countries such as South Africa, Egypt, Rwanda, Mali, Benin Republic and Namibia ahead of Nigeria. As the famed giant of Africa, this is totally unacceptable. Logistics Performance Index is an interactive benchmarking tool created to help countries identify challenges and opportunities in the performance of trade and logistics. Poor funding and government over bearing influence on port administrators are some of the major issues confronting Nigeria ports. Not too long ago, there was a widely publicized $800 million facility granted by the Federal Executive Council for the NPA to upgrade ports infrastructure. Whether those funds were ever accessed by Bello Koko before he left office, is another ball game.
NIGERIAN PORTS SHOULD BE MORE USER-FRIENDLY.
For decades, the talk about Nigerian ports either not being user-friendly or the most expensive in the West and Central African region has become a subject of concern. It is believed that most cargoes destined for our neighboring ports end up in Nigerian market. No thanks to the perceived cumbersome and multiple taxes and duties which scare away importers from Nigerian ports. Under your watch, Dr. Dantsoho, more engagements with critical stakeholders and advocacy groups is required. You should take a queue from the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, who has taken his campaign for stakeholder engagement to another level. There is no reason why cargo meant for Nigeria ports should be landed at ports neighbouring countries before being transhipped or transports across land borders to Nigerian markets.
DISLODGE THE CABAL IN MARINA.
The reason your immediate predecessors in office, Hadiza Bala Usman and Mohammed Bello Koko, became controversial and very unpopular with majority of stakeholders had to do with a cabal at Marina. The cabal has been in existence since 2016. This cabal, it has been alleged, succeeded in making your immediate predecessors succumb to their whims and caprices as only through their lenses will their bosses see the outside world and were thus held captive by this group of officers. Give it to Hadiza Bala Usman and Bello Koko, these are jolly good fellows any day. But unfortunately, those they nominated as their special aides became their albatross. Please, look before you leap, not all that glitters is gold. Beware of those plastic smiles around you.