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INTERVIEW WITH:
FESTUS B.I. PORBENI.
HON. MINISTER OF TRANSPORT,NIGERIA,
Marth 3rd,1999 |
FORBES: The Transportation sector
is one of the most important in Nigeria and consequently
of great economic importance. What role is your
Ministry playing in the economic modernization of
Nigeria on the whole?
PORBENI: Well, as you rightly said, transportation,
even in its generic form of transportation plays
a lot, because goods and services must be moved
from place to place. The Transport Ministry plays
lot of roles with its nine parastatals: Nigerian
Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Shippers’ Council
(NSC), Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), The Maritime
Academy (for development of personnel), the NITT
(Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology) and
we have the Inland Waterways … So, those are
the areas that play a lot of roles. Like I said,
railway transportation is first, Inland Waterways
(next) for heavy (duty) transportation, through
the land to the (sea)ports for all the import-export
activities.
FORBES: What are the most essential steps that
are you taking to modernize transportation system
in this country?
PORBENI: First we want to privatize some of the
areas of transportation that need to be privatized
and commercialized. In that regard we’ve started
partially privatizing some of the ports, we’ve
given out a section to people to (use) them.
FORBES: How much of the ports have been privatized?
PORBENI: So far we want to give some ports that
are a bit dormant to those who can reactivate (them).
And some, like the Federal Ocean Terminal (at Onne,
near) Port-Harcourt, that was dormant, a private
(firm) has taken it over and improved it. It’s
become one of the busiest ports now. And it’s
easily the top-notch of the West African sub-region.
FORBES: This privatization programme, is it going
to be as with the national process, where 40% will
be private and 60% for the state or, are you taking
different measures?
PORBENI: Since it’s a government policy, these
percentages, we’ll maintain the same. But for
us, the most important thing is (to) let those who
want to operate, like we have the bulk carriage
anybody who wants to do it, install it should do
it and operate it. Like the railway, we want the
railway from Lagos to Abuja Expressway, we want
it to be built, complete and then transformed. We
are going to build it, operate it and (when) we
make enough, depending on the agreement, then we
can transfer it.
FORBES: Are you looking for foreign investors
coming in, or is it national investors?
PORBENI: Yes, in fact, I was in Sweden and, I tell
people that the days when Nigeria would award a
contract for building of a refinery are past. We
don’t have the funds. You know that to build
a refinery in Nigeria is okay, you make profit,
come an build it, operate it, the government is
saying that you can now own (a company) 100% in
Nigeria, so come and operate it, the new experience
…
FORBES: And, what would the terms be for foreign
investors who come in to the transport sector be.
Measures in order to encourage investors as well
…?
PORBENI: That’s what I’m saying like right
now’ I’ve told all the media houses concerned
there is a very lucrative route from Lagos to Abuja
by express train. And I’m sure there’s
no other capacity for changing the regulation for
changing the regulation for tariffs, and it is dying
for investment. So, certainly, the room is open
for anybody who wants to do it. we are already talking
to some people who are interested. | FORBES: What actions have you been
taking to ensure security of transportation of passengers
and merchandise in the country?
PORBENI: Transportation by road, that, there’s
some arrangement, by which a member of a security
outfit follows every major bus that carries more
than, say, 20 people in Luxurious buses I mean.
Then for the railway, we have not had any experience
of armed bandits by the rail now, but all the same
some security outfits are involved. For the Inland
Waterway, we have not really started major transportation
there, we’ve just begun to develop them.
FORBES: You’re expected to lure foreign
investment into the country, what’s the report
you received so far from international institutions?
PORBENI: So far, what I will say is, like you said
we have had negative reports in the past and now
we are getting some on the positive side, and I
am sure, from May 29 1999, we’ll get a particular
report sheet. So we cannot say, … but some
proposals are on and there’ll soon be some,
I will not call it scramble, so we do not have another
scramble for Africa, you see?
FORBES: Where do you see the transportation sector?
PORBENI: For me, I see that it was killed. When
we talk of transportation, there is the aviation
side, there is road transportation, which is not
the major one, but where I’m directed now,
is the Inland Waterways, the Railway and of course,
there are other policies (sic) the Inland Waterways
and the Railway were killed for air and road transportation
… but I am bringing them back to life; the
realignment and reducing the gradient of the rail
and bringing coaches is at 80% completion, of realignment
and re-investment. Then in the Inland Waterways,
we are just trying to dredge the River Niger, which
is the major tributary. We have 3,500 Waterways,
with varying potentials for immediate use, but not
being used or underutilized. But with this dredging
and the revitalization of the inland waterways,
I see the transport sector doing very well on the
completion of these projects, for the transportation
of goods and services.
FORBES: On a more personal mote, what would you
say has been the greatest achievement of the Transport
Ministry since you’re been there?
PORBENI: I see the Maritime sector, fortunately
I’ve been trained in sector, fortunately I’ve
been trained in that aspect for 33 years; I see
it growing, because we want to see Nigerians own
their own vessels. As at now, most of the foreign
trade is taken over by others and we, with the new
regulation and globalization, with the free-market
economy, we don’t want to see that you can
also compete. And in that, we want to see that the
Nigerian Maritime Authority reschedules its mode
of giving out facilities, we want individuals to
own vessels to facilitate growth and foreign investment.
FORBES: As a final question, do you have a message
which you’d want to send to our 4.5 million
readers worldwide?
PORBENI: Yes, I’d like to say that Nigeria
has a lot of potentials, in terms of transportation.
For example even within the country, over 100 million,
they move from place to place, they are a very opulent
people, they move a lot. Take air transportation
within the country. A lot of movement. Take the
international (traffic) alone if you take British
Airways, 7 days a week, on a (Boeing) 747, it is
fully and over-subscribed. Some are taking a British
airways from china to Britain, from Israel to Britain,
from Nigeria to … I mean, the place is packed
full, first class is empty. Nigeria route, if you
want to travel tomorrow, you have to (book in advance).
So, therefore there is enough market in Nigeria
in the area of transportation.
FORBES: Thanks you very much, Sir. |
© World INvestment NEws, 1999.
This is the electronic edition of the special country report on Nigeria published in FORBES Magazine,
May 31 st issue.
Developed by AgenciaE.Tv |
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NIGERIA
