In a bid to address stakeholder concerns about truck traffic around Apapa and Tin Can Island Port Complexes, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, the Managing Director/CEO of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), made an unscheduled visit to the Lagos Ports access road on Monday.
During his inspection of key operational areas, Dantsoho emphasised that these unexpected visits are part of the NPA’s commitment to continuous improvement.
“These visits will be frequent,” he stated, “motivated by our paradigm of continuous improvement.”
He added, “I have instructed Port Managers to urgently tackle the issues highlighted by the trucking and freight forwarding communities, but I will also personally ensure follow-through for compliance and tangible outcomes.”
Dantsoho highlighted the importance of traffic management efficiency, explaining that in addition to optimising the eto electronic call-up system, there are efforts to promote multimodal evacuation methods via barges and rail lines.
He said NPA is collaborating with the Nigeria Customs Service to move the scanner currently located on the rail link in Apapa to ensure smoother cargo evacuation.
Emphasising the significance of the port access road as an international corridor, he declared, “We have zero tolerance for traffic clogs that cause congestion. So we are poised to increasingly hold ourselves and everyone to account. The automated access gates must work, we must shorten the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to align with the necessity for quick transaction turnaround to remain competitive first with our peers in the region and internationally.”
On the sidelines of his visit, Dantsoho was hosted by John Coumantaros, Chairman of the Flour Mills Group, where discussions revolved around process enhancements, further investments in port infrastructure, and equipment to boost the market share of Nigerian ports.
Dantsoho also took the opportunity to commend the Honourable Minister for Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for securing the Federal Executive Council’s (FEC) approval to begin reconstruction at Tin Can Island and to rehabilitate problematic sections of the Apapa port complexes.
He said these developments, alongside the Federal Government’s approval of the National Single Window (NSW) project, signal Nigeria’s preparedness to handle larger cargo vessels, aligning with the country’s population size and economic needs.
Related Posts:
Copyright Ships & Ports Ltd. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit given to www.shipsandports.com.ng as the source.