By Comfort Olayinka
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has dismissed recent online reports alleging widespread corruption amounting to billions of naira within the organisation, describing the claims as “spurious allegations” that are “false and lacking any credibility.”
In a statement released on Sunday, January 11, 2025, the NPA reassured Nigerians of its unwavering commitment to accountability and transparency in its operations.
The Authority provided a series of clarifications addressing the allegations.
The NPA emphasised that “the budget and expenditure of the NPA are subject to strict supervision by the Ministry of Marine & Blue Economy, the Budget Office of the Federation, as well as comprehensive oversight by the National Assembly. This makes the allegation of misapplication of budgetary provisions impossible.”
Addressing the contract for dredging works at the Warri Escravos Channel—a crucial area for Nigeria’s oil and gas operations—the NPA clarified that the procurement “followed the laid-down processes and procedures for emergency procurement as stipulated in the Procurement Act, 2007, contrary to allegations in the report.” The Authority emphasized the necessity of the dredging to combat increasing siltation and prevent “international embarrassment and significant investment losses from shipping vessels running aground.”
Similarly, the procurement of marine crafts was defended as being “carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Procurement Act, 2007.” The NPA explained that this acquisition was “initiated and undertaken in response to the need for national energy security through the implementation of the sale of crude oil in Naira to domestic refiners, which involved intensive offshore operations.”
Dismissing claims of document withholding, the management stated that “the allegation of documents being withheld for over a year is untenable, as the existing civil service guidelines governing the timeline for processing official documents make this impossible.”
The Authority also denied any financial impropriety at its London office, asserting that “the allegations concerning expenditures at the Authority’s London office are entirely false, as the dealings or transactions speculated in the report never took place.”
A significant increase in revenue for 2024 was attributed to “exchange rate gains since the Authority’s activities are denominated in FOREX in line with global maritime best practices.”
Regarding staff promotions and appointments, the NPA maintained that these actions “were undertaken to address the issue of personnel age stagnation within the Authority” and asserted that “management followed due process as outlined in the Authority’s approved conditions of service.”
Clarifying the revocation of third-party contracts, the Authority stated that such actions “were in accordance with existing laws and contractual agreements with all concerned parties.”
The allegation of low staff morale was also strongly countered, with the NPA highlighting the “resolution of all outstanding employee stagnation issues and the conduct of promotion examinations in 2024.” The statement further claimed that “management has received commendation from both in-house labor unions for these reasons, so staff morale is currently at its peak.”
It added that revocation or amendment of third-party contracts was carried out in compliance with legal and contractual provisions.
The NPA highlighted strides toward port modernization, including securing Federal Executive Council approval for infrastructure renewal and process automation through the Port Community System.
The Authority urged media organizations to seek clarifications before publishing reports, reiterating the NPA’s openness to constructive engagement, stating, “The management of the Authority wishes to advise all media organizations to seek clarification of their reports from the Authority, whose doors are always open to constructive engagements.”
The statement concluded with an assurance from the Abubakar Dantsoho-led management regarding its commitment to enhancing port competitiveness and supporting national economic growth.
The NPA urged Nigerians to support its efforts to modernise and enhance the country’s port systems as it continues to implement the Federal Government’s National Single Window project.
