By Providence Ayanfeoluwa

Industry leaders in the maritime sector would lead discussion at the maiden edition of PortNews Summit themed: “Port Reforms and Local Content: Has Nigeria fared Well?” scheduled to hold on December 4, 2024 at Apapa.

The summit put together by PortNews Newspaper, is expected to pool a gathering of respected economists, ship moguls, respected maritime stakeholders, legal experts and longstanding maritime journalists.

The former Minister of lnterior, Captain Emmanuel lhenacho, would chair the summit, while renowned economist and a former Director General of Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industries, Dr Muda Yusuf, and maritime legal luminary, Olisa Agbakoba, SAN are guest speakers.

Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu will be the Chief Host, and the Special Guest of Honour is the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola.

A statement from PortNews said that these experts are expected to critically examine, analyse and find answers and recipes to all important question and ancillary teething problems.

According to PortNews: “Since the privatisation of ports in 2006 by the Federal Government, what have been the fate and the performance indexes of the concessionaires who were entrusted our port terminals and other sensitive facilities? Have the concessionaires, especially the foreign investors, added values to the system in terms of skills transfer, timeliness, increased ships and cargo volumes?

“Did the new order translate into more revenues for government and port users in general?

“Do the recent steadily galloping customs revenues tantamount to an upwards swing in ship traffic and a growing Nigerian economy?

“How do we juxtapose an incipient spectre of forlorn Nigerian freight forwarders and licensed customs agents with diminishing involvement alongside a Customs Service counting trillions of Naira as generated duties? Who remits these humongous sums to Customs? What’s the real worth of these monies? Where are the cargoes?

“These and many posers will be entertained by maritime technocrats, economists and well meaning guests at the Summit with an unflinching goal of improving standards and increasing productivity and profitability in the Nigerian maritime industry”.