SAPELE SEAPORT CAN CURB THE LAGOS GRIDLOCK... Tagbarha Malcolm, (FHNR)

"The Sapele Sea Port is one of the most strategically located sea ports in the Niger Delta region"... Malcolm.

Sea ports are located close to the sea where sea vessels, mainly ships brings in - import and takes out - export goods from one country to another country.

In Nigeria, sea ports are managed by the Nigeria Ports Authority, (NPA), which usually has facilities where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from the land. These sea ports are mainly located in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria due to its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean which naturally function as a medium where goods are solely transported to and from Nigeria. 

The Sapele Sea Port is one of the most strategically located sea ports in the Niger Delta region.

Growing up in the ancient City of Sapele with her functional Seaport, which act as a hub that boosts the activities of the very popular Africa Timber and Plywood Industry, (AT&P), and other commercial businesses and industrial activities in the city, I learnt that Sapele and Oghara depended largely on the functionality of sea ports. And between these two towns, they have over 16 industries, such as Okpe Trading Company, Oghene Rubber Factory, D.C.C Rubber Factory, New Independent Rubber Factory, which was later named K.B Rubber Factory, F.G Spiropolus Rubber Factory, Nagro Rubber Factory, Pamol Rubber Factory, Rodco Rubber Latex, JA-Thomas Rubber Factory, J.K Rubber Factory, etal.

However, It is surprising that all these factories have become skeletons of their former selves as a result of the huge costs of transporting by road, their finished products to and from Lagos Ports, for export at obviously high costs, which consequently made their end products to be uncompetitive in the international market. It would interest you to know that the reverse would have been the case should Sapele Ports function as a commercial port to boost the commercial and industrial activities within the city and its environs.

The importance of developing the waterways of any nation which depends solely on sea ports, cannot be overemphasized. More so, in this instance, the refusal of the Federal Government to dredge the 6.4 meters draft of the Escravos bay in Delta State in the past 25 years has totally contributed to the collapse of the ports in the area. The conversion of the Sapele Port facilities to Naval Training Base has further led to the total collapse of Sapele commercial and industrial activities. The resultant effects is the high rate of unemployment, crime and other social vices.

If the Sapele seaport is opened and utilized, the river Niger Lokoja channel along with the Onitsha mini port will be serviced by the Sapele ports, and commercial and industrial activities within this region will be boosted, thereby providing massive employment, and thus reduce the rate of crime and other social vises.

Since there are a litany of seaports in the Niger Delta region which should be adequately utilized in order to save the nation from the present quagmire, I am using this medium to call on the Federal Government of Nigeria to direct the Ministry of transport to open up the neglected sea ports in the Niger Delta region, most especially the Sapele, Koko, Warri, and Bayelsa Ports for business, in order to decongest the Lagos Ports and consequently solve the traffic gridlock, currently bedeviling the city. In the same vain, the government should direct importers and exporters to take their goods to the ports in the Niger Delta region. 

It is an open secret that the nation is presently groaning over the congestion of the Lagos sea ports, which has hitherto been causing heavy traffic gridlock in the city, thereby causing untold hardship to Nigerians.

It is in this connection that the Sapele Sea Ports and other sea ports in the region, which have the capacity to substantially decongest the Lagos Ports, needs to be revived and adequately utilized.

This is my observation as a young man who was born in Sapele and grew up at different times in the tripod of Sapele, Warri and Ughelli Local Government Areas.

May God bless Sapele Local Government Area!

May God bless Delta State!!

May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!

Tagbarha Malcolm is the Chief Press Secretary to the Sapele LGA Chairman