Steve Agbota
Amidst the horrific traffic jam and deteriorating environmental situation around Nigerian ports, food vendors and hawkers appear to be gradually taking over the ports, with stakeholders lamenting the development is rubbing off the country’s international image.
It was revealed that about 60 per cent of the refuse littering the ports is generated by touts, food vendors and hawkers operating within the complex.
While in other maritime domains, general canteens are provided in different locations with other facilities that make ports to be efficient and competitive, Nigerian port managers are concentrating these facilities in the same environment thus painting a bad image of the country.
This was as concerned stakeholders blamed Federal Government agencies for failure to provide facilities such as public canteens and toilets around the nation’s ports, stressing that the current gridlock and congestion are part of the reasons the ports are attracting more food vendors and hawkers.
They argued that serious maritime nations around the world, including Ghana or Togo would not allow food vendors, touts and hawkers to constitute nuisance within their ports.
According to a cashew exporter, Mr. Johnson Ayeomo, who spoke to Daily Sun, it is so unfortunate that the Nigerian ports system is missing among the other maritime nations. He blamed government failure over the years to provide necessary facilities to make the ports competitive in the world.
He said, ”Go to other ports where serious maritime business is happening. You can’t see people hawking sweet, soya, biscuits, soft drinks among others anywhere within the ports. No open food vendor is allowed because there is already dedicated canteens for people working around the ports. There are some ports that has shopping marts where one can easily get what you want.