We’ll discourage monopoly in oil, gas logistics – NPA MD

The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, Hadiza Usman, has pledged to discourage monopoly in the nation’s oil and gas logistics sub-sector. Usman said on Wednesday that the NPA would promote transparency and push for the success of the local content initiative of the government.She spoke in Lagos during an inspection of Snake Island Free Trade Zone belonging to Nigerdock Nigeria Plc, an indigenous oil and gas services company.She said, “We appreciate the need for local content development and we will push for its success in Nigeria. We will ensure enabling environment and the necessary legislation to block any form of monopoly in the logistics sub-sector.”“We are keen to ensure proper regulation that will promote transparency in the sector because no monopoly will be helpful to the development of the Nigerian economy. We are working to ensure there is adherence to local content policy within the environment. We will also ensure there is adherence to the employment of Nigerians within the operations.”Usman commended the management of Nigerdock for its commitment to the development of indigenous capacity in the country, saying that only a committed indigenous company would have invested over $500m in-country.The Chairman, Nigerdock Nigeria, Mr. Anwar Jarmakani, said his company would continue to invest in giving jobs to Nigerians.He, however, urged the NPA boss to use her office to ensure a level playing field for all stakeholders in the shipyard, shipbuilding and logistics business.