The Nigerian Ports Authority is in discussion with the Barge Operators Association of Nigeria as part of efforts aimed at ensuring seamless export cargo evacuation from the hinterland to the seaports.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Managing Director of NPA, Mohammed Bello-Koko when he hosted members of BOAN, led by its President, Olubunmi Olumekun via the official X handle of NPA on Tuesday.
In the statement, Bello-Koko noted, that initiative has created large numbers of direct and indirect employment opportunities, as well as reducing congestion and pressure on the roads.
He said the meeting’s main focus was to offer the essential support needed to enhance the value chain of the barge operation.
“We are driven by the relentless commitment to achieving seamless connectivity between the seaports and hinterland as an enabling initiative for sustaining the growth of exports, Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority.
“This is an enabling initiative for sustaining the growth of exports in the country,” Bello-Koko said.
The deployment of barges for the evacuation of cargo from the ports to the hinterland using the waterways to reduce pressure and congestion on the road corridor is an interventionist initiative of the NPA that has evolved into a significant business endeavor that generates both direct and indirect employment opportunities on a large scale.
