The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) has lauded the achievement of Calabar Port irrespective of inherent challenges.

ICRC’s director-general, Michael Ohiani, spoke when members of the commission visited the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and terminal operators in Calabar.

Mr Ohiani stated that despite inherent infrastructure challenges, the port was able to find innovative ways of doing business.

The ICRC chief executive officer said the visit was to live up to its commitment to monitor activities of concessionaires in the port facility.

”This visit will enable us to ensure that concession agreements signed with the federal government are complied with.

”Our visit is part of our regulatory function to see if terminal operators are complying with their responsibility as entrenched in the concession agreements,” he said.

Mr Ohiani further said the commission would find out the challenges facing the operations of the port.

”This is taking into consideration the fact that the National Assembly will soon commence its assessment of how the concessionaires are complying with agreements,” he added.

Responding, Olumati Festus, the Calabar Port manager, thanked the ICRC team for the visit, describing it as a good omen.

He said that although there were challenges in the system, the port authority had been doing its best to remain afloat.

”The state of the Calabar Port channel is the reason bigger vessels are not coming to the port. This is making the facility to be underutilised,” he said.

The manager said the deplorable road network connecting Calabar and other states was making it difficult for clients to patronise the port.

(NAN)