LAGOS- The Ports Consultative Council of Nigeria (PCCN) has called for a review of the existing ports master plan to improve productivity at the Nigerian ports.
Its President, Chief Kunle Folarin, made the call in an interview with journalists in Lagos yesterday.
“A master plan gives you a total idea of the various segments of the activity and also their allocation, so that they do not come and be an encumbrance on other segments or other operations.
“In other words, it avoids haphazard development; it avoids pollution in the way or process of operation.
“It enhances productivity and makes it easier for seamless operation to happen in the port system.
“Ancillary services are necessary in the port system; you need a police station; you need a hospital or a sickbay.
“You need workshop for the plant maintenance and repairs, you need access road connections; you need port offices, (and) agents’ offices.
“The master plan will forecast the needs and the volume of the needs and therefore appropriate infrastructure will be designed from that master plan.’’
He said that fifty years ago, nobody could have forecasted that Nigeria would have crude oil.
He said it was because of that nobody thought it was important to take into account the provision of tank farms in the master plan.
“Fifty years ago nobody could have forecasted that we would have oil.
“So if we now say there was a master plan for Nigerian ports, there was no thought of tank farms in those plans.
“You can’t blame them because we did not have oil at that time.
“So they could not foresee the need to build tank firms or where to locate tank farms when we have not got oil.
“In other words, the present arrangement that looks a bit clumsy, is as a result of haphazard development of various segments of operation at the port.
“Fifty years ago there was no containerisation in Nigeria’s operation system.
“How can you be talking of stacking area? That is why we have warehouses only in the port until they were demolished a few years ago to make ways for container stacking areas.
“So it is the configuration of cargo, the era in which the infrastructure was being laid that dictates how and why they are there.
“Having said that we can re-organise the whole place.
“And that is what is happening now that in one terminal, a lot of reconstructions are going on to create appropriate environment for that type of cargo that they will be having in that place.’’
The maritime expert said that the review of the port master plan would ensure massive improvement at the country’s ports
