The private sector under the aegis of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group has pushed for the return of 24-hour operations at Nigerian ports. Chairman of the NESG, Folusho Phillips, who disclosed this, said it was the only way to clear congestion at the ports. This was just as N2 billion was set aside as seed capital for development of mass housing in the country. ?
According to him, the idea of closure time for the ports does not allow for efficiency and is a disincentive to investment. “I think we are the only port in the world that operates from 9 to 5. And yet we complain that there is congestion at the ports. We are moving toward a port that works for 24 hours.”
Speaking in Lagos yesterday ahead of the 17th Nigerian Economic Summit with the theme: ‘Attracting Foreign Direct Investment Through Global Partnership’, he said an indication that government was serious about transforming the economy and attracting foreign investors was the quit order given to some operators at the port recently by the minister for finance.
“To show the action driven mode that the government is in right now, the minister for finance removed all the baggage at the ports. These are things that discourage investors. We want people to be conscious of the fact that Nigeria is now ready for business”.
Mr. Phillips said Aliko Dangote, chairman of Dangote Group has agreed to provide N2 billion as seed capital for mass housing as a way of solving the housing deficiency in the country and to boost employment.
“At the presidential retreat with the private sector, it was discussed that one major thing that drives jobs in any economy is construction of housing. Mass housing for people to move from their mud houses to a basic one bedroom which they know is theirs for which they can have ownership and have the papers that can allow them to do things with it.”???? ?
He said the rolling fund will provide for the construction of mass houses across the country which will be sold and the money rolled over to finance other such projects across the country.
According to him, the NESG was taking more concrete steps to ensure that deliberations at the summit are taking into consideration by government in policy formulation and implementation. “We are moving away from advocacy into more action driven type of situation. What we are hoping we will achieve is to seek ways to bring all the major players and even our own internal investors to sit down and identify what needs to be done to encourage investment. If we can remove these policies then we are ready to put some money in, he said.