A maritime expert, Dr. Babalola James, has said Nigeria’s eastern seaports possess vast but largely untapped potential to generate substantial revenue and create thousands of jobs, if adequately developed and supported by the Federal Government.
James, who is the Secretary of the Rivers and Bayelsa Shippers Association, made the assertion in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, where he described the continued underutilisation of the eastern ports as a major economic loss to the country.
According to him, ports in the eastern corridor—Port Harcourt, Warri, Calabar, Onne, Sapele and Koko—are underperforming mainly due to political factors and the absence of deliberate policies to drive patronage and investment.
He said there was a clear lack of political will to promote the eastern ports, despite their strategic importance to national trade and economic diversification.
James noted that geographical challenges also affect the ports, explaining that most of them are located within creeks, unlike the Lagos ports which are situated on the open sea, making navigation and access more difficult without sustained dredging.
The former spokesperson of the Shipping Trade Practitioners Association of Nigeria further lamented the poor state of infrastructure at the ports, describing many facilities as old and dilapidated.
He called on the Federal Government to introduce targeted incentives to attract shippers and investors, stressing that such measures would revive activities and restore confidence in the eastern ports.
James also accused the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) of neglecting the eastern ports following a visit by the American Coast Guard, during which Lagos Port was reportedly used as a case study.
He said all recommendations from the visit were implemented in Lagos, while the eastern ports were excluded from similar upgrades and interventions.
Despite these challenges, James said the eastern ports were still contributing significantly to government revenue, noting that millions of dollars and trillions of naira from port activities were being paid into the Federal Government’s Treasury Single Account.
He maintained that with improved infrastructure, revenue generation would increase substantially and translate into massive employment opportunities for youths in the Niger Delta.
READ ALSO: NIHR Global Surgery Unit Marks 10 Years of Research Partnership, Strengthens Nigeria’s Surgical Care
Erdogan Reaffirms $5bn Trade Target as Nigeria–Türkiye Deepen Economic, Security Ties
Describing the eastern ports as critical to Nigeria’s economic growth, James urged the government to prioritise dredging of channels and rehabilitation of berths.
He added that ports in Delta State and parts of the Port Harcourt Port Complex urgently required extensive dredging due to low draft levels, warning that failure to act would continue to limit their competitiveness and capacity.
About The Author
