Seaport access roads not included in 2017 budget ―NPA MD

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Managing Director, Hadiza Bala Usman shocked many striking port users on Monday when she stated at the Tin-Can Ports that the dilapidated seaports access roads were not included in the 2017 budget.

Hadiza after conducting a physical inspection of the dilapidated Tin Can Island port and Coconut axis of the Apapa roads assured that the NPA has agreed with the ministry that the agency would fund reconstruction of the roads.

According to her, “We have held several meetings with the ministry and came to an agreement that NPA would jointly fund for the reconstruction of this roads.

“We in the authority believe that these roads are priority to us, so we have identified budgetary heads for them, we are going to make budgetary provisions for them in spite of the fact that they are not under our purview.

“We have stipulated budgetary provisions for them in our 2017 budget and we will embark on full reconstruction of the road. One of the initial ones we have agreed on is the full reconstruction of the wharf road. We are embarking on that with Dangote Group and Flour Mill for full reconstruction. We would provide funding for reconstruction of that road.”

Hadiza said it was shocking to discover that the reconstruction of the dilapidated aports access roads were not included in the 2017 budget. She noted that only N7 billion was included in the budget for the Tin Can Port roads alone.

She however assured that Flour Mills Nigeria Limited and Dangote Group have agreed to support the NPA on the reconstruction of the Wharf road. He said that both companies are collaborating to provide N2.5billion as CSR for the wharf road construction.

She however noted that the full construction of the road which includes providing full utility provision of drainage among others is placed at 4.3billion.

“The width of the roads would be 12 meters with full utilities deployed. it is going to be a concrete road that would have a life span of 30 years. The construction will start within a month. We are going to sign an agreement with the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Flour mills and Dangote group on implementation of the project,” she added

On the Creek Road axis of the port, she noted that the ministry of works has agreed to supply NPA with the final engineering designs for creek road and Liverpool.

“The ministry of works at Wednesday FEC meeting would seek approval to embark on reconstruction of wharf road and by then final approval would be issued in the manner acceptable and we would be able to do same with liverpool as soon as we get the final engineering designs.

“The holding bay is also being constructed by the ministry of power, works and housing and we have intimated them on the need for NPA to take over the holding bay and give it to a private sector to manage it

“The roads are a huge embarrassment to Nigeria as a whole, considering the amount of money that government is generating from the port,” she explained.