Delta Stakeholders Call On NPA To Restore Warri And Koko Ports, Dismiss Claims As Mere Propaganda

Stakeholders in Delta State’s maritime and business sectors have called on the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to move beyond what they described as media narratives and take decisive action to restore operations at the long-neglected Warri and Koko ports, warning that continued inactivity is costing both the state and the country valuable economic opportunities.

According to Ireporter Online, the appeal was strongly echoed during the Annual General Meeting of the Warri Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (WACCIMA) in Warri, where port operators openly disputed recent claims by the NPA about decentralising port activities and redirecting traffic from the congested Lagos ports to Delta State.

Industry operators described the Warri and Koko ports as largely dormant for close to two decades, noting that general cargo vessels have all but disappeared from the facilities. Observations at the Delta Ports administrative headquarters in Warri reportedly revealed idle stacking areas, deteriorating warehouses with leaking roofs, deserted Nigeria Customs Service offices and port agents struggling to find work.

A port agent, Maxwell Etoroma, was quoted as saying that the ports have witnessed no vessel activity in recent weeks, apart from petroleum tankers. He dismissed reports suggesting a sudden surge in activity at Warri Port, describing such claims as misleading and disconnected from the reality on ground.

Similarly, the leader of the NPA Daily Berthing Meeting Committee in Warri, Sir Chidi Njoku, criticised what he described as repeated announcements of dredging and revitalisation projects without lasting impact. He noted that despite significant public spending on dredging at the Escravos bar, access challenges persist, limiting vessel calls mainly to tankers transporting petroleum products. Njoku added that Koko Port remains even less active, receiving only occasional small export vessels at long intervals.

Despite the prevailing frustration, stakeholders insisted that the Delta ports are strategically positioned for major commercial operations and urged the NPA, under its Managing Director, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, to implement its revitalisation plans. Etoroma described Warri and Koko as some of the safest and most naturally endowed ports in the country, stressing that experienced port agents in the area are ready to resume full operations once shipping activities return.

The Delta State Government also framed the revival of the ports as a national economic necessity rather than a regional demand. Speaking on the proposed focus on Delta ports, the Commissioner for Rural Roads and Public Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, said functional ports would significantly boost federal revenue and benefit Nigerians nationwide, given the state’s substantial contribution to the national treasury.

Aniagwu urged the Federal Government to accelerate action on its commitments, noting that improved road infrastructure under Governor Sheriff Oborevwori would make Warri a strategic hub for cargo movement to the Southeast, reduce transport costs and ease pressure on Lagos ports. He dismissed opposition to port decentralisation, arguing that expanding port operations beyond Lagos would strengthen Nigeria’s economy and increase government revenue.

At the WACCIMA AGM, the chamber’s president, Anthony Okoh, described the prolonged neglect of Delta ports as unacceptable and called for urgent rehabilitation to unlock the Niger Delta’s economic potential. Chairman of WACCIMA’s Board of Trustees, Chief Moses Orogun, added that reopening the ports remains the quickest route to reviving Warri’s economy, stressing the need for sustained advocacy by the business community.

At the National Assembly, a lawmaker representing Warri Federal Constituency, Hon. Chief Thomas Ereyitomi, has reportedly moved a motion in support of full decentralisation of port operations. He described the policy as a national economic imperative that could reposition Nigeria as a competitive maritime hub in West Africa, while urging complementary investments in rail, inland waterways and road infrastructure.

Stakeholders concluded that while the benefits of revitalising Delta ports include job creation, reduced logistics costs, decongestion of Lagos ports and increased government revenue, the true test lies in tangible action. Until ships return in significant numbers, they warned, Warri and Koko ports will remain symbols of unrealised potential rather than engines of economic growth.