By Godwin Etakibuebu
He is the last unchallengeable man standing in the African Maritime Industry. Some people see him as one of the very last few brains, of this generation, in the world with absolute authority in shipping matters. He is a priced intellectual property of the world maritime community as he goes about, lecturing Maritime Management, Economics & Operations in more than 10 countries around the globe. He is a Nigerian and his name is Otunba Kunle Folarin.
The News Guru [TNG] and Lagos Talk 91.3 FM – in a fantastic collaboration – crew of seasoned journalists [Godwin Etakibuebu [The Guru], Immanuel Odeyemi and Kehinde Ajose] met this maritime encyclopedia a few weeks ago in an exclusive interview he generously granted in his office at No 1 Joseph Street, Lagos Island. It was an explosive interview that spanned beyond the one hour originally agreed into three hours. This accomplished Technocrat generously allowed us to grill him; hence we were able to come out with this knowledge-loaded information – arguably a collector’s copy.
Can you introduce yourself Sir?
They said l am the last man standing which is true. Many of my colleagues have left the industry or have gone something else but l don’t know whether they get the satisfaction which l got.
I am Otunba Kunle Folarin, the Chairman of Nigerian Ports Consultative Council. I am Chairman of Nigeria’s Seafarers Welfare Board. Years ago, l was the Chairman of the Transport Trade Group of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce. I was the Chairman of the Shipping Trade Group. I have served on the Board of the International Labour Organisation [ILO] in Geneva for several years. I also served in the International Maritime Organisation in London for several years. I am also Chairperson to so many Organisations. I had opportunity to deal with issues that have particular reference to this blue economy.
You have not only been a regulator, you have been an operator and you have been there, seeing everything coming and going. The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Hadiza Bala Usman recently made a statement saying the solution to the Apapa gridlock is by building more seaports in Nigeria. Ow would you react to that?
Let me start by saying Hadiza Bala Usman is talking from the particular mandate she has. Her mandate is managing the ports and then she must look for solutions within the ports system. There are several solutions to dealing with issues that hindered trade and social movement within the ports corridor. But she has given a solution of the seaports from the perspective of the seaports that it is about time to diversify and reduce the pressure on the Lagos Apapa Ports Complex by diverting cargoes to other seaports. There is a very little that can be done in sustaining the solution you have brought to the Lagos-Apapa port corridor.
We did a study that says over 1 Million vehicles transit that corridor daily, at least at peak time. Most importantly, the city has grown into the ports. Unless you are going to demolish 1 kilometer of buildings around the ports corridor to create access into the ports and exit from the ports. Unless you are going to redefine the social-cultural setting in Apapa metropolitan area in order to increase the capacity of cargo and truck movement in Apapa.
The solution is that we need to create a diversion to other ports so that the pressure on the Lagos-Apapa Ports will ease the cost. The solution lies not only in Multimodal Transport System but in other solutions that will come in.
You were around when the development of the ports was created as an idea. Today all the cargoes come to Lagos, which is why there are problems with movement and traffic. What happened to the ports in Warri, Port Harcourt, Onne, Calabar and others?
Let me start from the known to the unknown like an algebraic expression. You need a Master Plan in dealing with ports development. You need a plan that sees all as one. If you look at issues of ports development, it was to create corridors for the expansion or development in cargo volumes in the western part of the country. The cargo characteristics changed from consumer goods to industrial goods. The cargo characteristics changed from bulk cargo to liquid and dry bulk cargo.
Petroleum imports increased in volume because of the domestic and industrial needs of the country. The dry bulk also increased because of the need to feed the nation from the imports of wheats and the imports of fertilizers.
On the other side too, there has been increase in various cargoes that has to serve the raw materials needed for developing industries.
That is why the Third Wharf Extension was to deal with cargo characteristics that changed. In 1975, containerization started in Nigeria. We were receiving cargoes in cartons, but it changed. We have to provide a particular kind of arrangement that will serve those particular cargoes’ characteristics. When cargo characteristics changed, the configuration of ships also will change.
The type of ships that will bring a container is different from the one that will bring bulk cargo. Tankers will bring bulk wet cargo; bulkers will bring dry bulk cargo. Conventional vessels will bring general cargo. Roro vessels will bring vehicular cargo. So the cargo characteristics demand by Nigeria changed with prosperity. Prosperity brought its needs, then its problems.
Remember the Cement Armada, 600 vessels arrived Nigerian territorial waters within six months. We had only sixteen berths in Apapa Ports. Where do you put them? The rest is now history
To be continued next week Friday.
Godwin Etakibuebu; a veteran Journalist, wrote from Lagos.
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You can also listen to this author [Godwin Etakibuebu] every Monday; 9:30 – 11am on Lagos Talk 91.3 FM live, in a weekly review of topical issues, presented by The News Guru [TNG].