Africa’s richest man and Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has called for stronger regulation in Nigerian port operations to address the ongoing issue of port congestion.
Dangote made the call at the third ‘Race to US$200bn In FX Repatriation’ Non-Oil Export Summit of the Central Bank of Nigeria held in Lagos on Tuesday.
During his speech, Dangote criticized the Nigerian Customs Service, Nigerian Ports Authority, and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council for their role in creating the congestion. He highlighted two issues – terminal operators and Customs – and accused terminal operators of creating container-stacking lots in the ports to generate demurrage fees, which hinder the quick clearance of goods.
Dangote urged the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and terminal operators to change their ways and help aid the export industry in the country. “The terminal operators have to also change what they are doing now with the help of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council. The problem we have in that area is that we don’t have a very strong regulator. Shippers council, I think you need to rise and NPA (too). We are also a terminal operator, so I know what they are doing,” he said.
He added that the government’s policy to remove charges for exports would not be effective if goods were not cleared within 48 hours. “Sometimes, by the time you pay terminal charges and demurrage, there is no way you can become competitive when you export. There is a policy by the government that when you export, whatever you export, there are no charges,” he said.
Dangote’s comments come as Nigeria seeks to diversify its economy and boost its non-oil exports. The issue of port congestion has been a long-standing challenge in Nigeria, hindering the country’s trade and investment opportunities. With Dangote’s call for stronger regulation, it is hoped that the Nigerian maritime sector will take the necessary steps to address this issue and create a more efficient and competitive environment for businesses.