The Igbo Community Association, ICA, the apex socio-cultural body representing the Igbo people in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, has appealed to the Nigerian Government to prioritize the establishment of a seaport in the South-East.......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
In a press statement signed by its President General, Engr. Ikenna Ellis-Ezenekwe, made available to DAILY POST on Tuesday, the ICA decried the continued absence of a functional seaport in the South East.
The group described it as an enduring economic injustice that had stifled business growth, inflated costs, and subjected millions of hardworking traders and entrepreneurs to undue hardship.
It lamented the exclusion of the region from Nigeria’s maritime infrastructure, arguing that this deliberate oversight has placed an unfair economic stranglehold on Igbo business owners, forcing them to endure the chaotic congestion and exploitative conditions at Lagos ports.
The Igbo group also commended the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, for his relentless and strategic efforts in advancing the establishment of the South East Development Commission (SEDC).
It, however, urged the lawmaker to take a further bold step by championing the long-overdue establishment of a seaport in the South East, which it said was an infrastructural necessity that has been unjustly denied to the region despite its immense contributions to Nigeria’s economy.
The association noted that despite being one of Nigeria’s most commercially vibrant regions, the South East remained without a single operational seaport, while other zones enjoy multiple maritime facilities.
It recalled that Nigeria currently has six officially recognized seaports under the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), including the Lagos Port Complex (Apapa), Tin Can Island Port, Rivers Port Complex, Onne Port Complex, Delta Port Complex, and Calabar Port.
However, the ICA emphasized that only two of these ports —both located in Lagos—are fully operational, thereby exacerbating logistical challenges for South East importers who must endure exploitative levies, excessive delays, and multiple extortions while transporting goods from Lagos to the region.
The group insisted that the economic imbalance was neither incidental nor justifiable but a calculated attempt to undermine the economic advancement of the South East.
The ICA President called for immediate action to revive and expedite the long-abandoned plans for two strategic seaports in the region— the Obeaku Ndoki Port in Abia State and the Oseakwa Seaport in Anambra State.
He described the proposed Oseakwa Port, located along the Oseakwa River in Ihiala Local Government Area, as a project of immense economic significance.
He recalled that “the location was once an active maritime hub during the colonial era, facilitating the exportation of goods, and stressed that the proposed port, situated approximately 285 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean, has the potential to revolutionize commerce in the region, decongest Lagos ports, reduce transportation costs, and stimulate industrialization across the South East”.
The statement also dismissed the claims and speculations that a seaport in the South East would be unviable, citing the region’s massive commercial activities in cities like Onitsha, Aba, and Nnewi, which account for a significant portion of Nigeria’s non-oil trade.
It maintained that if the federal government is truly committed to national economic growth, then establishing a seaport in the South East should be a priority, not an afterthought.
The ICA further warned that continued neglect of this critical infrastructure would only reinforce the perception that “the South East is deliberately sidelined in Nigeria’s economic framework, thereby deepening grievances of marginalization”.
The statement concluded by affirming that while the establishment of the SEDC was a significant milestone, it must not be seen as an isolated achievement but rather as a stepping stone towards a broader developmental agenda that included the construction of a fully operational seaport.
It urged Igbo political leaders, stakeholders, and business elites to unite and speak with one voice in demanding urgent federal action on this issue.