Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi alongside Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Managing Director Hadiza Bala Usman and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Director-General Dr. Dakuku Peterside are among the keynote speakers scheduled to speak at The Nation Newspaper Ports reforms conference.
The Nation Newspaper Editorial Board chairman Sam Omatseye, in a statement yesterday said the conference will hold at the Civic Centre on Ozumba Mbadiwe, Victoria Island, Lagos, by 10am.
The theme is: “Making Nigerian ports world-class.”Omatseye said
According to him, other guest speakers are: Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Alhaji Sabiu Zakari; Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Mr Hassan Bello; Managing Director, National Inland Waterways Authority, Mr Boss Gida Mustapha; President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Dr. Frank Udemba Jacobs and Deputy National President, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Mr David Etim.
Also billed for the conference are: Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Mr. Mike Jukwe, Comptroller-General, Nigerian Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali (retd); Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation, Mr. Fidet Okhiria; President, Nigeria Shipowners’ Association (NISA), Mr Aminu Umar; Director-General, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission; Managing Director, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority; Permanent Secretary, Min of Power, Works and Housing; Managing Director, CMA-CGM Nig.
Shipping Limited, Mr. Todd Rives; Team Leader, Governance & Peace Building Unit, UNDP, Dr. Kehinde Bolaji and Program Associate (Anti-Corruption), UNDP, Mr. Segun Olusola.
The one-day event will have two sessions. The first part will address Strategies for a speedy implementation of the integrity plan resulting from the ports sector corruption risk assessment.
Omatseye said, “It will also look at practical ideas for better stakeholder collaboration in fast-tracking the reduction of cargo dwell time to 24 hours and minimising revenue leakages.
“Finally, ideas will be shared on financing the massive infrastructure upgrade needed within the ports and for achieving a swifter evacuation of cleared cargo.
“At the end of the conference, there will be a communiqué describing the major consensus of delegates. It will be circulated widely among stakeholders and to the general public.”
“Another outcome will be the formation of a Maritime All-Stakeholders’ Standing Committee to monitor and motivate the implementation of the consensus reached,” Omatseye said.
