Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DAS Energy Services, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, has advised Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State to support the diversion of port operations to other parts of the country.

He urged him to emulate former Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, SAN, who advocated decentralisation of port activities to decongest Lagos.

Onuesoke’s call followed criticisms credited to one of the aide of the governor, who faulted the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) over its decision to divert cargoes to Warri Port, describing the move as a strategy that failed to address inefficiencies at the Lagos ports.

Addressing journalists in Warri, Delta State, Onuesoke said opposition to the diversion of cargo to ports in the South-South and South-East amounted to an attempt to preserve Lagos’ dominance in maritime activities at the expense of national economic growth.

He argued that decentralising port operations was in the national interest, insisting that it was unhealthy for one region to monopolise maritime business while other ports with capacity remained dormant.

According to him, continued concentration of port activities in Lagos, particularly at Apapa and Tin Can Island ports, was outdated and counterproductive, adding that such posture would only worsen congestion and undermine economic efficiency.

Onuesoke recalled that Fashola, while serving as minister, proposed diversion of some cargoes to other ports as a long-term solution to gridlock and traffic challenges in Lagos, saying the policy would also reduce the pressure on road infrastructure in the state.

He maintained that Warri, Koko, Sapele, Burutu, Port Harcourt and other ports would remain underutilised as long as cargoes meant for them were routed through Lagos, only to be hauled by road to other parts of the country.

He listed the consequences of the current system to include higher landing costs for importers, increased risks of cargo loss and damage with attendant higher insurance premiums, destruction of federal highways by heavy-duty trucks, and loss of productive man-hours.

The former Delta State governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said diversion of cargoes would revive once-thriving port towns, including Warri, Sapele, Koko, Burutu and Port Harcourt, and stimulate economic activities in those areas.

Onuesoke said ports in Warri, Port Harcourt, Sapele and Burutu had enormous capacity and were strategically located in Nigeria’s oil and gas belt, adding that their proximity to the Atlantic made them suitable for expanded maritime operations.

He further lamented that congestion at Lagos ports had forced some vessels to divert to neighbouring West African countries, resulting in revenue losses to Nigeria.

He urged the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government to support the full activation of Port Harcourt, Warri, Onitsha, Calabar, Onne, Koko, Sapele and Burutu ports, stressing that Nigeria was too large to rely on a single maritime hub.