Lagos – The Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Malam Habib Abdullahi, has approved the rehabilitation of the Tin-Can Island Port (TCIP) access road to Apapa.
The General Manager, Western Ports of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Chief Michael Ajayi, made the disclosure on Friday in Lagos while receiving a delegation of Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA, Nigeria) in his office.
Ajayi said that it was the desire of the managing director that access roads to the ports must be free of encumbrances.
“The management has concluded plan to carry out the rehabilitation of the Tin Can Ports access road to Apapa.
“We are expecting the contractor to be mobilised to site because the objective is to block all the bad spots to reduce traffic gridlock in Apapa, ‘’ the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quotes Ajayi as saying.
He said that presently the contractor was carrying out “palliative” measures on the port access road.
The general manager said that the Dangote Group was also rehabilitating some bad portions of Lagos Port access road.
Ajayi lauded the efforts of the WISTA, Nigeria, with the association’s substantial objective of assisting the needy to sustain their businesses
He, however assured the association of NPA’s assistance and also urged NPA’s staff to seek membership of the association to improve their attitude to work and to gain confidence in the shipping profession
The President of WISTA Nigeria, Mrs Mary Hamman, said the association was committed to extending its network to mobilise more women in the shipping industry and encourage the women to improve on their duties.
Hamman said that there was need to continuously admonish women and to enable them to work perfectly along with men in the industry.
She said that WISTA Nigeria had been in existence since 1994, adding that the association was established internationally in 1974.
Hamman said that WISTA had been supporting young cadets who were financially handicapped to complete their education, adding that the association had also assisted some cadets in gaining employment.
She said that the association had also assisted some fisherwomen in some parts of the country such as Aguleri (Anambra) Epe (Lagos) and Oron (Akwa-Ibom), adding that the association was soliciting the support of NPA to help other communities.
Hamman said that WISTA Nigeria intended to procure fishing equipment for some fisherwomen in some communities as part of the association’s objectives.
“WISTA is a Non- Governmental Organisation. We solicit support from stakeholders and we usually task members to assist in achieving the objectives of the association.
She, however, commended NPA for continuous work being done in ensuring that the ports’ access roads were free and made more attractive to those that had left the shipping business due to the poor road network.(NAN)