The Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Mohammed Bello Koko has commended the existing synergy between NPA and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) especially for the support towards the electronic data exchange in Nigerian ports.
Koko gave the commendation while reacting to a pledge made recently by the IMO to support Nigeria’s efforts to develop a Port Community System (PCS) for electronic data exchange for its port complex.
A news release monitored on the website of the IMO stated that from January to June 2022, IMO will work with NPA to conduct analysis of the current situation and put forward recommendation on the governance, business model, technology and identify any gaps to be addressed. This will ensure that Nigerian ports benefit from effective operational country-wide PCS to enhance the economy of the country.
Also, the assessment mission is phase two of the project which began in 2021 with series of IMO-led webinars (between August and November 2021) which aimed to raise awareness among Nigerian stakeholders about key aspects of a PCS. This series identify the opportunity and challenges for developing a national PCS in Nigeria.
More than 60 senior management participants from NPA, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Immigration Service, Port Health Service, Ministry of Transportation, as well as port terminal operators, shipping companies, ship agents, importers and exporters participated.
A port community system, which is a neutral platform that allows the exchange of electronic information between various stakeholders, has become increasingly important to simplifying cross-border trade.
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