By Steve Agbota
Stakeholders in the maritime industry have decried high level of infrastructure decay in the nation’s ports, even as Nigeria continued to lose revenue through cargo diversion to neigbouring countries. 
Port users accused the Federal Government for paying close attention the nation’s ports despite generating trillions of revenue into federation account annually.
Speaking with Daily Sun, an importer, Samson Okowa said it is disturbing that most of the infrastructure in the ports are left to be decayed without being repaired or fixed, saying the quays at the Tin Can port are collapsing and they are yet to be fixed.
“In spite that the Federal Government is making a whole lot of revenue from these ports through its agencies such as Customs, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and others, but they are faced with numerous challenges, which need urgent attention,” he said.
Also speaking with Daily Sun, the Chief Executive Officer of Ocean and Cargo Limited, Aare Jide Taiwo said it is an obvious fact that the seaport in Apapa is an old port with old infrastructure but  not properly maintained.
According to him, the technology in place at the port can’t be compared to that of the  most western world despite the fact that some new equipment has been introduced to improve service delivery lately an the port.
“The road network is an integral part of port service operations,  as we speak 50 per cent of the port service challenges we are experiencing is due to poor and bad roads around the port. The truckers can’t drive in and exit as at when due because of the poor road network, which causes delays in delivery timing for cargo that has been cleared.
“The experience get worse during raining season because of limited drainage systems to channel off the drops of water during rain fall into the appropriate channels. The NPA being the landlord of the seaport needs to do a lot as to find a lasting solutions to the infrastructural decay.
“The seaport is one of the revenue generating sources for the government, we need to do more as regards over hauling of the system, technology upgrades and replacement.  Ultimately we have to do Infrastructural upgrades. The Federal Government needs to act fast so  that we won’t keep loosing revenue that is meant to come into Nigeria, if importers keep taking thier cargos to neighbouring countries because of poor and delayed in clearing process at the nation’s  Port,” he added.