Activities at the Lagos ports have gradually come to a grinding halt as the foreign exchange restrictions announced last year by the Federal Government takes a heavy toll on the nation’s economy.
This situation has left many who depend on Africa’s hitherto busiest ports for living to idle away.
The Nigerian Ports Authority recently released a report of its performance, with the Managing Director, Habib Abdullahi, saying the number of ocean-going vessels that called at the ports had declined by 8.1 per cent.
He said a total of 5,090 vessels “called at the ports in 2015, which is a decrease of 8.1 per cent when compared to the 5,541 recorded in 2014.”
This drop has also affected the NPA’s revenue as it generated N11.9bn in 2015, indicating a drop of 1.7 per cent from the N12.1bn generated the previous year.
In its latest report on the issue, the National Bureau of Statistics said that Nigeria’s imports decreased by 24.7 per cent in December 2015.
The report entitled: ‘Nigeria Imports from 1981 to 2016’, stated, “In the last quarter of the year (2015), purchases declined by 22.4 per cent. Imports in Nigeria averaged N164.26bn from 1981 until 2015, reaching an all-time high of N1.5tn in March of 2011.”
The forex restrictions, aimed at boosting local manufacturing industries and agriculture, have instead forced local manufacturers to cut operations and lay off workers due to their inability to import raw materials.
Licensed customs agents lamented the lull in port activities occasioned by the continued decline in imports.
The President, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, Lucky Amiwero, said many customs agents had lost their jobs and relocated to their home towns.
Amiwero, who spoke with one of our correspondents on the telephone on Wednesday, said, “Many offices have closed down. Those who have not relocated cannot even afford the transport fares to come down to the ports anymore.
Activities at the Lagos ports have gradually come to a grinding halt as the foreign exchange restrictions announced last year by the Federal Government takes a heavy toll on the nation’s economy.
This situation has left many who depend on Africa’s hitherto busiest ports for living to idle away.
The Nigerian Ports Authority recently released a report of its performance, with the Managing Director, Habib Abdullahi, saying the number of ocean-going vessels that called at the ports had declined by 8.1 per cent.
He said a total of 5,090 vessels “called at the ports in 2015, which is a decrease of 8.1 per cent when compared to the 5,541 recorded in 2014.”
This drop has also affected the NPA’s revenue as it generated N11.9bn in 2015, indicating a drop of 1.7 per cent from the N12.1bn generated the previous year.
In its latest report on the issue, the National Bureau of Statistics said that Nigeria’s imports decreased by 24.7 per cent in December 2015.
The report entitled: ‘Nigeria Imports from 1981 to 2016’, stated, “In the last quarter of the year (2015), purchases declined by 22.4 per cent. Imports in Nigeria averaged N164.26bn from 1981 until 2015, reaching an all-time high of N1.5tn in March of 2011.”
The forex restrictions, aimed at boosting local manufacturing industries and agriculture, have instead forced local manufacturers to cut operations and lay off workers due to their inability to import raw materials.
Licensed customs agents lamented the lull in port activities occasioned by the continued decline in imports.
The President, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, Lucky Amiwero, said many customs agents had lost their jobs and relocated to their home towns.
Punch