The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has called on terminal operators to embrace efficiency to address congestion at the Nigerian ports’ terminal.

Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Council, Mr. Hassan Bello, made the call when he led NSC’s team of enforcement and monitoring officers on a working visit to the Terminal (APMT) in Lagos, yesterday, Friday, January 3, 2020.

According to him, the terminal operators have a role to play in ensuring that the trucks coming in or leaving the ports are not causing congestion.

He maintained that the delays should not be seen as opportunity to impose extra costs on containers at the detriment of the shippers.

Bello also urged them to stop imposing charges on containers landed at the ports during Yuletide.

The Stakeholder Manager, APM Terminal, Daniel Odibe, said the terminal is contributing to the Federal Government’s drive to improve the economy through its services. He disclosed that exports which previously made up about 7% of its total cargo throughput now account for 25%. This increase occurred between 2018 and 2019, Odibe disclosed. He attributed this increase to favourable government policies. Odibe expressed the terminal operators’ readiness to improve on service delivery.

The Enforcement Team from Regulatory Services Department of NSC had earlier paid a fact-finding visit to Apapa Ports quays to investigate the cause of congestion at the port terminals. In the course of the visit, the NSC Team discovered that the congestion is as a result of consignees not coming forward to take delivery of cargo. The team reported that APMT has boosted its terminal operations by acquiring more equipment, noting, however, that these efforts need to be complimented by the provision of motorable access roads to the ports.

•PHOTO: Daniel Odibe, Stakeholder Manager, APM Terminal, Apapa, Comrade Kayode Opeifa, Vice Chairman, Presidential Task Force on Apapa Gridlock and Hassan Bello Executive Secretary/CEO, Nigerian Shippers’ Council inspection defect trailer that carried container

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