The drive to plug the loopholes observed in the 12-year old ports concessioning agreement it entered into with concessionaires in 2006, has made the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to commence a review of the agreement.

The Managing Director of the authority, Ms Hadiza Bala-Usman, on Tuesday said that the review of ports concessioning agreement has since started and would be completed in the next three months.

Bala-Usman, who is also the Vice President, International Africa Ports and Harbour (IAPH) stated this in a presentation on “Ports Governance Models- Our Experience” at the ongoing First Regional Conference of IAPH in Abuja.

The Federal Government in a move to make the ports more efficient, concessioned the cargo handling and terminal operations to private operators in 2006, but the purposes of the concession have not been realized as the Nigerians ports are still poorly rated, even after 12 years of the exercise.

Stakeholders, including the terminal operators and regulators have been clamouring for a review of the 12 year-old agreement in a move to bridge loopholes in the existing agreement and enhance port operations.

She said that NPA was meeting with the terminal operators to get their inputs on the review of the agreement.

“We have an inter-agency which has all the agencies of government that are part of the concessioning process.

“Also included in the review of the concession process are the Office of the Attorney-General, Bureau of Public Enterprises, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Transportation, NPA and technical support from World Bank.

“Nigeria should expect a supplementary agreement that will be signed with the concessionaires,” Bala-Usman said.

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