The Managing Director Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Hadiza Bala-Usman, has said that the Authority should not be solely blamed for lapses in cargo clearance at the nation’s seaport, “because it takes more than NPA to see cargo out of the ports”.
While speaking on “Driving the Change Agenda through Freight Forwarding” as part of activities marking the 68th birthday celebration of Prince Olayiwola Shittu, former President of Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agent (ANCLA) in Lagos on Monday, Bala-Usman said the greatest challenge at the port is to have agencies that are directly involved in cargo clearance “play their respective roles seamlessly”.
“The challenge is to get all agencies come under the Single Window which NPA is undertaking to achieve a smoother and faster clearance of cargo from the nation seaports,” she said.
The NPA Managing Director also called on freight forwarders in the country to embrace the change agenda of the Federal Government through capacity building that will enable them practice their profession in line with international best practices.
She said freight forwarders must play an effective role in port operations “because today’s customer desires services that are quick, reliable and flexible”.
She also said that NPA has taken steps aimed to improve the freight forwarding profession in Nigeria in line with the Executive Order on the Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria as well as meeting the expectations of the World Bank on trade facilitation.