FG to develop Eastern ports through Public Private Partnerships – Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi
Osinbajo on Thursday in Abuja reiterated the Federal Government’s
commitment to the revitalisation of the moribund seaport in the
Eastern region of Nigeria.

He stated this after inspecting
exhibition stands mounted by the Nigeria-American Chamber of
Commerce, Kaduna State in partnership with the Economic Affairs
Section of the U.S. Embassy in Abuja.

He was reacting to the moribund
status of Calabar, Port Harcourt and Warri Ports even as major
imports into the country through Tin Can and Apapa were destined
for the East.

According to the Vice President,
the country needs more seaports but their development will be
driven by the private sector.

“We simply need to develop more
ports but for us it has to be private sector-led. A lot of these
initiatives have been private sector led.

“I have been talking to several
of the business communities in those areas.

“Many people are talking about
Eastern Ports and I think they are important.

“We have also seen a lot of
indication in the private sector that they are prepared to invest
in some of these ports.

“So, the business of government
is just to enable these things to happen and we are prepared to do
that.’’

Osinbajo lauded the exhibitors who
came out with new methods of advancing the Small Medium Enterprises
(SMEs).

“Well, I am always excited to
see how extremely innovative and just how energetic our
manufacturing community is; it is just a wide range of products
that we have seen here today.

“And one of the things that
strike you is that there is so much going on that you don’t know
about.

“This is my second visit, I was
here last year, to this exhibition, and there is tremendous
improvement already.

“We have just seen someone who
has a drying technology out there which could really help with
a lot of post-harvest loses and all that and there are people who
are doing all manner of creative things.’’

Osinbajo said that the exhibition
indicated that diversification of the economy especially the agro-
allied value chain ‘’has already taken root so much and we are
seeing tremendous progress’’.

On how the Executive Orders would
aid trade facilitation in the country, he stated that :“One of the
very important things is the whole business of pre-investment
approvals.’’

He expressed gratitude that such
government agencies as NAFDAC, SON and BOI were being proactive in
their approvals.

`I think they are a lot more
proactive and I think that they are also working a lot more on the
time it takes to get these approvals.

“That is really one of the most
important things about the executive orders,’’ he
said.

Osinbajo addressed the theme of the
exhibition: “Assessing Hidden Opportunities and Linkages in Value
Chain for Entrepreneurial Development’’ noting that the
opportunities in the country were no longer hidden.

“Everyone has come to discover
that this country is just so blessed with so much in terms of
resources and I think that what we have seen especially with a lot
of young entrepreneurs today is that these things are already being
exploited.’’

Vice President Yemi
Osinbajo on Thursday in Abuja reiterated the Federal Government’s
commitment to the revitalisation of the moribund seaport in the
Eastern region of Nigeria.

He stated this after inspecting
exhibition stands mounted by the Nigeria-American Chamber of
Commerce, Kaduna State in partnership with the Economic Affairs
Section of the U.S. Embassy in Abuja.

He was reacting to the moribund
status of Calabar, Port Harcourt and Warri Ports even as major
imports into the country through Tin Can and Apapa were destined
for the East.

According to the Vice President,
the country needs more seaports but their development will be
driven by the private sector.

“We simply need to develop more
ports but for us it has to be private sector-led. A lot of these
initiatives have been private sector led.

“I have been talking to several
of the business communities in those areas.

“Many people are talking about
Eastern Ports and I think they are important.

“We have also seen a lot of
indication in the private sector that they are prepared to invest
in some of these ports.

“So, the business of government
is just to enable these things to happen and we are prepared to do
that.’’

Osinbajo lauded the exhibitors who
came out with new methods of advancing the Small Medium Enterprises
(SMEs).

“Well, I am always excited to
see how extremely innovative and just how energetic our
manufacturing community is; it is just a wide range of products
that we have seen here today.

“And one of the things that
strike you is that there is so much going on that you don’t know
about.

“This is my second visit, I was
here last year, to this exhibition, and there is tremendous
improvement already.

“We have just seen someone who
has a drying technology out there which could really help with
a lot of post-harvest loses and all that and there are people who
are doing all manner of creative things.’’

Osinbajo said that the exhibition
indicated that diversification of the economy especially the agro-
allied value chain ‘’has already taken root so much and we are
seeing tremendous progress’’.

On how the Executive Orders would
aid trade facilitation in the country, he stated that :“One of the
very important things is the whole business of pre-investment
approvals.’’

He expressed gratitude that such
government agencies as NAFDAC, SON and BOI were being proactive in
their approvals.

`I think they are a lot more
proactive and I think that they are also working a lot more on the
time it takes to get these approvals.

“That is really one of the most
important things about the executive orders,’’ he
said.

Osinbajo addressed the theme of the
exhibition: “Assessing Hidden Opportunities and Linkages in Value
Chain for Entrepreneurial Development’’ noting that the
opportunities in the country were no longer hidden.

“Everyone has come to discover
that this country is just so blessed with so much in terms of
resources and I think that what we have seen especially with a lot
of young entrepreneurs today is that these things are already being
exploited.’’