By Moses Ebosele, ebosele@hotmail.com —
Despite challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) attained significant growth.
From operational efficiency to increase in revenue, available information indicates that NPA scaled several hurdles within the outgoing year to boosts its revenue profile.
Addressing Journalists at her maiden press briefing as Managing Director in 2016, Bala Usman had pledged to strive for enhanced operational efficiency and improved revenue generation.
“We will listen to our customers, importers and exporters and other agencies working in the ports to improve on our service delivery to the nation. Anything less than the world class services are simply not acceptable.
“Attaining such height is the mission to which we can all subscribe to. As a team leader, I have come to add my best efforts to yours so that we can collectively achieve result for our industry. ”
Indeed,within a space of three years, NPA under the leadership of Hadiza Bala Usman has generated not less than N1.02 trillion revenue.
Analysis of the results showed that in 2016, the authority’s revenue went up to N182.42 billion against the N173.447 billion generated in 2015.
The development continued in 2017 when the authority generated a total of N259.99 billion, about 42 per cent increase when compared to the previous year.
In 2018, the revenue generation stood at N282.42 billion while 2019 peaked at around N300 billion, making it the highest in the authority’s history.
According to available information, NPA‘s contribution to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) Account had progressively increased since the current management took over in 2016.
The 2017 revenue, which exceeded the previous year’s by 84.65 per cent, was the highest generated by the agency in five years.
NPA had in a statement explained that the 2017 figure was made up of revenues from traffic, harbours, administrative and other sources in the sums of N136.04 billion, N66.80 billion, N86.06 billion and N10.75 billion, respectively.
Prominent among NPA‘s achievements in the outgoing year 2020 are the berthing of one of the biggest Maerskline vessel at Federal Ocean Terminal (FOT), Onne in Rivers State, partnership with a private firm to deploy electronic call up system to end Apapa traffic and suspension of all applicable terminal storage fees on consignments, also known as demurrage for an initial period of 21 days during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The Maerskline Stardelhorn vessel with Length overall of 300 metres, width of 48 metres is the biggest ever Container Vessel to arrive at any Nigerian Seaports.
The vessel, which has a capacity of 9,971 (TEUs) is a flagship from Singapore.
Speaking, while receiving the vessel, Bala-Usman said NPA is determine to ensure that eastern ports remain attractive to shippers.
Represented by the Asst. General Manager Harbours, Captain Uduiguomen Eboreime, Bala- Usman said she is very happy for the safe arrival of the ‘Maersk Stadelhorn Vessel’ at Onne Port.
Also within the year, following appeal by stakeholders in the maritime sector and in line with global best practice, NPA directed all terminal operators to suspend all applicable terminal storage fees on consignments also known as demurrage for an initial period of 21 days.
The NPA also stated that the gesture was in recognition of the pressure that the COVID-19 pandemic imposes on businesses and the responsibility imposed on the authority to relieve this burden on its customers.
The NPA in a statement issued by its General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications, Adams Jatto added that the measure was part of its bid to attain the objective of the federal government’s Ease of Doing Business Policy.
According to the NPA, “The authority recognises the financial implications of these policies on the terminal operators and will consider a shift in our operational charges to ameliorate the situation of stakeholders.”
NPA also donated Agura Hotels, Abuja as isolation centre for COVID-19 after consultation with other shareholders.
“The NPA as majority shareholder of the Agura Hotels, Abuja, in consultation with other shareholders, have agreed to donate the 130-bed fully furnished hotel as isolation centre for COVID-19 in Abuja.
“This is a social responsibility initiative aimed at supporting efforts of the Federal Government to contain the spread of the virus in Nigeria. The authority encourages all Nigerians to follow all advisories issued by the National Centre for Disease Control and be confident that Nigeria shall overcome.”
Meanwhile, to tackle the protracted Apapa traffic gridlock, NPA has concluded plans to deploy electronic call-up system.
.The effort will be financed by a private company, Trucks Transit Parks Limited under a public private partnership (PPP) arrangement with the NPA.
When fully operational, the electronic call-up system will save Nigeria about N140 billion weekly economic loss and another $10 billion annual loss of agro products.
Bala Usman had in 2016 explained that the management under her leadership would prioritise investments in primary equipment and infrastructure and services with commitment to fulfilling NPA’s concession agreement to hasten clearance of imports and exports from the ports.
She noted that collectively, the hard work of staff members could position NPA as a modern agency, “to function as regulator, all of us at NPA must be committed to the highest standards of performance. Let us uphold the most diligent work ethics in our individual beats as well as collective undertaking to achieve result.
