By Kayode Olopade
Former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dakuku Peterside, has challenged the Nigerian media to intensify scrutiny of the nation’s ports and deploy investigative and data-driven journalism to promote accountability, efficiency and economic growth.
Peterside made the call while delivering a keynote address at the 2026 Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Week in Lagos, themed: “Politics, Ports and Public Interest: The Media’s Catalytic Role in Driving Economic Growth in Nigeria.”
He said Nigeria’s ports should no longer be viewed merely as gateways for cargo movement and revenue collection, but as critical economic infrastructure capable of stimulating industrialisation, expanding exports, attracting investment and creating employment opportunities.
According to him, inefficiencies in the port system have far-reaching consequences for the economy and ordinary Nigerians, as delays and additional costs can translate into higher prices for food, machinery and manufactured goods.
He also noted that prolonged delays and unpredictable processes could weaken business confidence and discourage both domestic and foreign investment.
Peterside identified political governance as an important factor in port performance, particularly in the areas of regulation, institutional leadership, infrastructure development and coordination among agencies operating within the maritime sector.
He, however, cautioned against attributing every challenge at the ports to government failure, noting that the global maritime industry is also vulnerable to geopolitical conflicts, adverse weather conditions, port congestion and disruptions along international trade routes.
He therefore urged journalists to distinguish between domestic policy and institutional failures and external shocks when reporting developments in the sector.
Peterside challenged the media to move beyond reporting official announcements and instead track measurable outcomes, insisting that effective journalism should interrogate whether government policies and interventions are producing the promised results.
He called for sustained media monitoring of key port-performance indicators, including cargo dwell time, vessel turnaround time, cargo-clearance periods, inspection delays, documented charges, export processing and the performance of port concessions.
The former NIMASA boss also advocated the publication of quarterly port-performance scorecards, while urging journalists to follow government contracts, concessions, public expenditure and official commitments until their outcomes are established.
He stressed the need for greater technical capacity among journalists covering the maritime sector, particularly in data journalism, maritime regulation, public procurement and international trade.
Peterside noted that the reported 24.8 per cent increase in cargo throughput between 2024 and 2025 was significant, but cautioned that increased cargo volumes alone should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of broader economic prosperity.
He said the more important question should be how efficiently the ports enable businesses to produce, trade and invest, as well as the extent to which port performance translates into employment, competitiveness and wider economic development.
He urged journalists to place the ports within the broader national economic conversation, arguing that effective media scrutiny could help expose bottlenecks, strengthen institutional accountability and encourage reforms capable of making Nigeria’s maritime infrastructure a stronger driver of economic growth.
No comments:
Post a Comment