The Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman has reiterated need for more truck terminals outside seaport environment.
Speaking at the 14th Annual Business Law e-conference, Bala Usman also explained that NPA is not responsible for providing truck terminals.
Explaining further at the e-conference tagged: Business Unusual: Digital Acceleration For Growth in a New World, Bala Usman said: “I have always advocated for us to have larger truck parks that are outside of the port environment”.
According to the NPA Boss, Apapa is already congested, adding that “We are discussing with Ogun State Governor. We now have a truck park in Ogun State”.
Bala Usman informed participants that trucks coming to Lagos can now stay in Ogun State until they are called.
Making reference to tank farms, Bala Usman said: “We also have to recognize that within the Apapa corridors, we have the tank farms. So, there are petroleum products evacuation that are done in that area and so you also have attendant congestion arising from that area.
“I think the larger picture is the need for us to recognize using intermodal transportation system. You can’t have 90% of your cargo being pushed through by the road. The road will get congested. We must strengthen the utilisation of Inland water ways. We must drive and have our rail system concluded. If not for COVID, we would have concluded our rail connectivity”.
In her contributions, Chairperson, Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria,Princess Vicky Hasstrup said:”We have enjoyed enormous support from the NPA .We have the problems of people visiting the ports to examine their containers which is not safe at this period .
“The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) do not have quality scanners which is a shame. They must provide functional scanners to reduce physical examination of containers and human traffic.
“The Federal Government must prevail on the NCS to have scanners provided at the ports. For the past ten years, the terminal operators suggested to NCS that they do not mind investing in scanners but up till today nobody has done anything.
“We need to provide these scanners and other automation platforms to make payments online and cargo clearance quicker”.
Responding to a question on waiver of demurrage and storage charges during the period of covid -19, Nonso Azih, Legal Adviser to APMT said: “In answering this question, its important that we look at the background fact and the incident that happened in the period of covid-19.
“As we all know, the Federal Government in wake of covid-19 declared ports terminal services and ship services as essential duties. In this regard, the ports terminal operation was not shutdown during the height of covid -19, the bottom line is that subsequently we got a directive from our landlord, Nigerian Ports Authority to waive storage charges and it was also directed to shipping line“.
According to Azih, granting of waiver to importers or consignees is not “actually a contractual or legal obligation, it’s more like a palliative by the federal government in line with the ease of doing business campaign to keep the economic moving and we need to give some palliative to these consignees but I can tell you in practical terms that the terminal operators complied with that directive“.
Explaining further, Azih said: “The only challenge that was encountered is that virtually all the Ports operators run on automated system and so switching and adjusting the invoices to reflect with the new waiver was difficult.
“However, I can tell you essentially that the waiver that was extended to the importers and consignees didn’t have any remarkable improvement in evacuation of cargo. I may not blame the importers solely. You have to factor in the perennial traffic in Apapa.
“The Apapa Port was established in 1920 and when you look at the structure, you will find out that there have not been any major infrastructural changes over the years.
“So, Apapa has been made essentially same. The same road. We all know about traffic.
“To the Terminal Operators, anything outside the Terminal is not within the control of the Terminal Operators. The Terminal Operators did not have any problem granting the waiver.”
