The ports affected include Warri in Delta State, Onne in Rivers State, and Calabar in Cross River State, where the NPA has intensified moves to attract shippers and reduce pressure on the overcrowded Lagos ports. The Lagos corridor has suffered severe congestion for years, prompting the introduction of an electronic call-up system that continues to struggle with irregularities.
In a joint statement issued by LOME President, Mrs. Remi Itie, and Secretary-General, Mr. Felix Kumuyi, the group said it was inappropriate for Governor Sanwo-Olu to interfere with NPA policies designed to strengthen port operations nationwide.
LOME accused the governor of seeking to preserve Lagos’ dominance at the expense of balanced national development, describing his position as “a demonstration of obsession with Lagos’ supremacy.”
According to the editors, Nigeria’s economic stability cannot continue to depend almost entirely on Lagos ports, which have become magnets for gridlock, extortion, inefficiency, and a faulty e-call-up system.
The statement read in part:
“The League of Maritime Editors feels embarrassed by the governor’s remarks. Nigeria is a federation, not a private territory. The idea that Lagos must remain the undisputed commercial gateway is arrogant and unrealistic.
“For decades, overconcentration of port operations in Apapa and Tin Can Island has bred congestion, corruption and decay. These challenges are not created by the NPA but stem from Lagos’ failure to manage its infrastructure and regulatory environment.”
The group insisted that decentralising port activities to Warri, Onne and Calabar is necessary to improve efficiency, promote equity, and reduce economic pressure on Lagos.
