The Igbo Community Association (ICA), the apex socio-cultural organization representing Igbo people in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has renewed its demand for the establishment of a seaport in the South-East, calling on the Nigerian government to address what it describes as a longstanding economic injustice.
In a press statement signed by its President General, Engr. Ikenna Ellis-Ezenekwe, the ICA decried the persistent lack of a functional seaport in the region. It argued that this exclusion has stifled business growth, increased costs, and subjected millions of traders and entrepreneurs to undue hardship.
The group accused the government of deliberately sidelining the South-East in Nigeria’s maritime infrastructure, forcing Igbo business owners to endure chaotic congestion and exploitative conditions at Lagos ports. It emphasized that while other regions enjoy multiple seaports, the South-East, despite being one of the country’s most commercially vibrant zones, remains without a single operational facility.
Commending the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, for his efforts in championing the South East Development Commission (SEDC), the ICA urged him to go a step further by advocating for a long-overdue seaport in the region. The association insisted that such infrastructure was a necessity, not a privilege, given the immense economic contributions of the South-East to the nation.
The ICA recalled that Nigeria currently has six officially recognized seaports under the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA): Lagos Port Complex (Apapa), Tin Can Island Port, Rivers Port Complex, Onne Port Complex, Delta Port Complex, and Calabar Port. However, it noted that only the two Lagos ports are fully operational, exacerbating logistical challenges for South-East importers who face excessive levies, delays, and multiple extortions when transporting goods from Lagos.
Describing the situation as a calculated attempt to undermine the economic advancement of the South-East, the ICA called for immediate government action to revive the long-abandoned Obeaku Ndoki Port in Abia State and the Oseakwa Seaport in Anambra State. The association highlighted the strategic importance of the Oseakwa Port, located along the Oseakwa River in Ihiala Local Government Area, which historically served as an active maritime hub during the colonial era.
“The proposed Oseakwa Port, approximately 285 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean, has the potential to revolutionize commerce in the region, decongest Lagos ports, lower transportation costs, and drive industrialization in the South-East,” Ellis-Ezenekwe stated.
Rejecting claims that a seaport in the South-East would be unviable, the ICA pointed to the region’s massive commercial activities in cities like Onitsha, Aba, and Nnewi, which account for a significant share of Nigeria’s non-oil trade. The group insisted that if the federal government is truly committed to national economic growth, then prioritizing a seaport in the South-East should be a matter of urgency, not an afterthought.
The statement further warned that continued neglect of this critical infrastructure would only reinforce the perception that the South-East is being deliberately marginalized, deepening grievances of economic exclusion.
While acknowledging the establishment of the SEDC as a step in the right direction, the ICA stressed that it must not be treated as an isolated achievement. Instead, it should serve as a foundation for a broader developmental agenda that includes the construction of a fully operational seaport.
The association urged Igbo political leaders, stakeholders, and business elites to unite in pressing for urgent federal action on the matter, emphasizing that economic empowerment and infrastructural development must remain at the forefront of the South-East agenda.
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