Chief Financial Officer of Lagos Free Zone ( A Tolaram Venture), Ashish Khemka has called on businesses, corporate organizations, and captains of industries to consider the construction of the port as a pathway towards industrialization.

Speaking at a panel session at the just concluded maiden edition of the Nigerian Seaport Investment Forum themed "Repositioning Nigeria's Seaport for Investment and Trade Attractiveness",held in Lagos last week Khemka said that the potential of the maritime sector in Nigeria remains largely untapped.

He explained that there is need for stakeholders including government to provide necessary infrastructure and reduce bottlenecks that can affect the efficiency of the port.

According to him, the commencement of business operations at Lekki Deep Sea Port by December 2022 would certainly serve as a gateway for economic prosperity for Nigeria and other neighbouring countries in West Africa.

"The port and industrialisation go hand-in-hand. You can't have one without the other. If you have a port but don't have any industry where you can process the raw materials, there will be no usefor the port, and vice versa",he said.

In his keynote address, Assistant General, Nigerian Ports Authority,Mr. Ayo Durowaiye, who represented the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, Mohammed Bello-Koko, emphasizedthe need for stakeholders to harvest ideas from the forum to improve the ports and tackle the challenges.

Similarly, the Chief Executive Officer, Welcome2Africa, Bamidele Seun Owoola, explained that the forum is intended for relevant stakeholders to rub minds in order to proffer solutions to the myriad of issues plaguing the sector. He added that it would also help to facilitate good business relationships.