The Senate Committee on Marine Transport has urged the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to be more proactive in attracting potential lenders to fund ports infrastructure repairs.

The Deputy Chairman of the Committee, Olubiyi Fadeyi, stated this during an oversight visit to all the maritime agencies in Lagos, last week.

He emphasised that the NPA should not restrict itself to just a few lenders, but actively seek out partnerships and investments to address the dire need for the ports’ infrastructure repairs.

Fadeyi stated that funding, budgetary allocations and revenue growth were among the challenges confronting the agencies in the maritime sector.

He said the essence of the visit was to engage with the agencies to address the concerns and operational challenges of the marine transport sector.

The senator said that during the interaction, several agencies voiced common concerns and challenges that have been impeding their effectiveness and progress in which funding emerged as a primary issue, with agencies across the sector expressing dissatisfaction with their budgetary allocations.

He stated that many chief executives of agencies submitted that the allocated budgets were inadequate to meet their operational needs and maintain critical infrastructure, noting that this challenge has far-reaching implications for the efficiency and quality of services provided by these agencies.

Fadeyi added that the agencies emphasised the need for revenue growth, noting that with budget constraints, agencies are struggling to generate the necessary funds to maintain and improve infrastructure, provide services, and invest in modernisation efforts.

The Senator quoted the chief executives as saying that the revenue-generation process is hampered by various factors, including inadequate investment and the need to attract more businesses and trade to the maritime sector.