Business
Tincan Port fencing will enforce automated access control gate usage – Bello-Koko
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on Friday said that the concrete fencing of Tincan Port would help enforce the usage of the automated access control gate.
Mr Mohammed Bello-Koko, Managing Director, NPA, said this during a tour of the Tincan Port in Lagos, to ascertain the level of execution of contract awarded.
Bello-Koko noted that the tour was to look at operations at the port to see what had been achieved so far, especially in terms of improving sanity and ensuring that only people that should be in the port have access.
“We can see that Tincan has now been fenced, using concrete walls from the outside. The essence is to secure the port, not just because of safety, but also to restrict entrance.
“There are individuals that just wake up in the morning and want to come into the port with no business in the port.
“By reducing the number of persons, by restricting entry into the port, we are ensuring that we reduce pilfering and theft, reduce thugs and miscreants into the port.
“Then, it will create an enabling business environment within the port location as referred by the International Ship and Port Facility (ISPS) Code,” he said.
He noted that fencing of Tincan Port would ensure individuals who had no business in the ports are kept out, adding that the use of automated access control gate would be enforced.
Bello-Koko said he was impressed to see fewer people at the port unlike how it was in the past.
The managing director said, “we will keep enforcing and restricting entry into the port to only those that have businesses in the port”.
The NPA boss noted that as regards safeguarding the waterside, what they had done was to increase patrol.
He said that NPA had purchased security patrol boat for the waterside and working with the Nigerian Navy, within the ports in Lagos, to increase their own patrol.
“We are working with the Nigerian Navy Ship(NNS), Beecroft and there are parts of the port along the waterway that we felt should also be fenced, but we are looking at the best option due to the soft nature of the ground.
“So, if we can’t fence the waterfront what we should do is patrol it, restrict access into the port from the waterside using the patrol boats and surveillance.
“Our security men are up to the task and we will keep giving them all the tools that they need to improve their communication. We will keep improving it and we will buy more patrol boats to ensure the waterfront is also secured,” he said.
As regards residence in little island across the channel around Ogogoro, Tomato island and others on security, Bello-Koko said that the authority was engaging the communities on the efforts in cleaning up the area.
“We are engaging them through community and stakeholders interactions. We are also working with the Lagos State Government, we once had the 360 degree operation, which first of all went round to remove all shanties along the port corridor.
“We went to those islands to ensure residents that do not need to be there, were removed,” he said.
He added that the authority was waiting for the elections to be over and at the right time working with the Lagos State Government and the communities to ensure that the operations takes place, again.
He added that the rehabilitation of internal roads in the nation’s ports was ongoing and was aimed at reducing the complaints of users of the ports.
“People are complaining of the roads leading to the port, which is the responsibilities of the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Federal Ministry of Works.
“We felt we should ensure that the roads within the port are in good state and thus, the ongoing rehabilitation.
“It has started raining in Lagos and we came to look at the level of execution of the contract we awarded,” he said.
He said that the contractor, Avalon Intercontinental Nigerian Ltd., assured him that the section of the contract of the roads would be concluded in two-weeks time.
He noted that the authority would ensure that it was done as the location had issue of flooding.
“They have created drainage outlets into the main creek, the portnovo creek, to ensure evacuation of water.
“We are doing it at other port locations in the country. We are doing that in Onne, Calabar and also Rivers Port, just to ensure that roads within the ports are in a very good state,” he said.

Business
Steel manufacturers hail Tinubu over $14bn deal

The Basic Metal, Iron and Steel Products Manufacturer, a sectoral arm of the Manufacturer Association of Nigeria, (MAN) has commended President Ahmed Bola Tinubu for his overwhelming performances and efforts towards the nation’s economic growth at the just concluded Nigeria-India economic roundtable meeting in India.
The group also commended the president for attracting the sum of $14 billion investment to boost the nation’s economy adding that the feats recorded by the Bola Tinubu-led government within 100 days of its inauguration will no doubt accelerate economic recovery and business growth in the steel sector.
This is contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the Chairman of the group, Dr. Kamoru Yusuf MON, stressing that, “Iron and Steel sector, if given the required attention and necessary support, is capable of ensuring accelerated growth of the nation’s economy.
Dr. Yusuf, who is also the Group Managing Director of KAM Holding Limited, a wholly owned indigenous Iron and Steel Industry in Nigeria added that, “President Tinubu has by all standards demonstrated his love and readiness to support industrialists. We, in the Iron and Steel sector of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, (MAN) are ready to support his administration with data, workable templates and roadmaps that will support Mr. President in his endeavour to succeed in his mandates to Nigerian citizens.
“As major stakeholders in Nigeria’s Project, we received this news with huge excitement and sense of fulfillment and hope that the breakthrough will further change the game of operations as ‘Risk Takers’ in the nation’s business environment. We pledge our unalloyed support to your administration towards ensuring and providing enabling atmospheres for industrialists to continue to thrive.”
The statement also emphasised that, “President Tinubu’s exceptional efforts in attracting such a substantial investment for Nigeria’s steel sector deserves standing ovation and applause.”
The group therefore promised to continue to support the Minister for Steel Development, Alhaji Shuaibu Audu, in the discharge of his duties at all times.
Business
Ex-CBN director urges FG to reduce cost of governance

Dr Titus Okunrounmu, former Director, Budgetary Department at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has advised the Federal Government to reduce the cost of governance in order to stem the country’s debt profile.
Okunrounmu, who gave the advice while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Ota, Ogun, described the list of ministerial portfolio on Wednesday as over bloated for a country with huge debt profile.
According to him, funding the nation’s recurrent budget with borrowing does not need these large number of ministers and bloated special assistants, which inevitably must allow for allowances and official vehicles.
“These excess baggage was not projected for in the 2023 Federal Budget and the revenue estimates could not cover the recurrent budget.
“In addition, the federal government needs financial discipline to curb corruption in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to reduce debt profile in the country,” he said.
Okunrounmu advised the federal government to redouble its efforts and work against policy somersault to encourage influx of foreign investors into the country.
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