Stakeholders in Delta State’s maritime and business community have called on the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to desist from perceived propaganda and move decisively to revive the long-neglected Warri and Koko ports, warning that continued inaction is costing both Delta State and Nigeria huge economic opportunities.
The call was reinforced at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Warri Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (WACCIMA), in Warri, even as operators at the ports painted a bleak picture of facilities that remained largely dormant despite recent NPA statements on decentralising port operations and shifting activities from the congested Lagos ports to Delta.
For nearly two decades, general cargo vessels have deserted the Warri and Koko ports. A recent tour of the Delta Ports administrative headquarters in Warri, showed empty stacking areas, warehouses under lock and key with failing roofs, deserted Nigeria Customs Service offices and port agents idling away days, with no paperwork to process.
“We just come to sit down every day, nothing is happening. For the past three weeks I have been in Warri, and we have not seen a single vessel… Apart from tanker vessels, you cannot see anything,” lamented port agent Maxwell Etoroma.
Anger among stakeholders deepened following online claims that Warri Port had suddenly become “busy” after the NPA’s announcement.
“All those are just propaganda. People called me from Abuja and Port Harcourt saying Warri port is booming. But there is nothing here,” Etoroma said.
Sir Chidi Njoku, leader of the NPA Daily Berthing Meeting Committee in Warri, accused authorities of repeatedly announcing dredging and revitalisation projects without results.
“It may surprise you to know that some months ago they said they dredged that place (Escravos bar), and within months the same issue started again. Billions of naira gone… The only vessels we get are tankers carrying PMS. The real vessels that will affect the masses are not there,” Njoku told The Nation.
At Koko Port, activity is even thinner. “The only vessel that comes there is a small export vessel that takes 400 to 500 metric tons. It comes once in a month or two months, and it is exported,” Njoku explained, dismissing claims that the port is busy as misleading.
Despite the grim reality, stakeholders insist the Delta ports are naturally suited for heavy commercial activity, imploring the NPA led by Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, to follow through with the plans.
“Warri and Koko have the best natural ports in this country. This is the safest port. We are ready to work. Most agents here have 40 to 50 years of experience,” Etoroma said.
The Delta State Government says the revival of its ports is not a parochial demand, but a national economic need that will benefit Nigerians and boost federal revenue.
Speaking exclusively on the NPA’s planned focus on Delta ports, the Commissioner for Rural Roads and Public Information, Charles Aniagwu, stressed that development must begin in earnest, citing Delta’s contributions to the national treasury.
“Delta state Government, when it is brought back to life, will to a very large extent boost the economy of the state and that of the country. Not only because we desire it, but it is the right thing to do.
“Our contributions in terms of the resources of the federation today is number one. They say to whom much is given, much is expected. We do believe we are contributing so much to the federal purse and that if the federal government is also able to come back to revive the Warri Port which is a port that before now was very active, it is something that is good for the federation, so it is not only in our self-interest,” Aniagwu.
“We are urging and pleading with the federal government to expedite action, they have indicated that they are going to make it work and we appreciate them for that,” he said, adding that political alignment had made engagement easier.
On reported opposition to the proposed decentralisation, Aniagwu declared: “If there is any other person kicking against it, then the person doesn’t wish Nigeria well. Because the Warri Port is not only to serve the people in Warri or Delta, it is to serve Nigerians, just like Lagos ports are serving Nigerians… It will increase business, it will boost our economy, it will make the Federal Government to even have more money.”
He highlighted improved road links under Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, noting that clearing goods in Warri would ease access to the Southeast, cut transport costs and reduce demurrage.
At the AGM, WACCIMA described the state of the ports as unacceptable as the President, Engr. Anthony Okoh, said the neglect of Delta ports had been a concern for over a decade and urged authorities to accelerate rehabilitation to unlock the Niger Delta’s economic potential.
Chairman of WACCIMA’s Board of Trustees, Chief Moses Orogun, said reopening the ports remained the fastest way to revive Warri’s economy, stressing that business leaders must push policymakers because “the government alone cannot do it.”
At the National Assembly, Hon. Chief Thomas Ereyitomi, representing Warri Federal Constituency, has moved a motion urging full support for the decentralisation of port operations.
“Decentralisation of Nigerian port operations is a national economic imperative, not a regional contest,” Ereyitomi said, adding that the policy would “reposition Nigeria as a competitive maritime hub in West Africa.”
