Managing Director of Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman, has said that the agency’s remittance to the consolidated revenue fund is highest since she assumed the position.
Proceeds of agencies under the Federal Government are paid into the consolidated revenue fund.
“The consolidated revenue fund has been the highest the NPA has ever made,” she said on Tuesday during a programme on Television Continental.
“Our revenue generation has increased; our contribution to the consolidated revenue fund has been the highest the Nigerian ports have ever made. So it has been a very productive four years for the Nigerian Ports and for the country as a whole.
“The revenue generating agency has risen up to the challenge and has increased its contribution and also increased operational efficiency.”
In October, Usman said the NPA’s proceeds to the consolidated revenue funds increased from N18 billion to N30 billion.
Usman told her host that one of the concerns the NPA has “that makes Nigerian ports in totality not competitive is the absence of deep seaports.”
She said her administration would work with the NPA board to ensure the deep seaports are made available soon.
Usman also renewed clamour for the deployment of scanners at the nation’s seaports as part of measures to fast-track cargo evacuation.
“We need to deploy scanners in our ports so that cargoes can be inspected using scanners. Right now as a lot of consignees are aware, cargoes are inspected physically,” she said.
“So, having the entire cargo that come into Nigeria being physically examined, you would look at how difficult and challenging that would be and the time frame with which we would have that attendant longer window because the inspection officers would have to literally have to open all the containers that come in.”
