Harboursandport.com: Lagos --- By Eguono Odjegba
In a bid to realize the objectives of ease of doing business initiative and the attainment of 24hours ports operations, the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, said it has commenced processes that will lead to the development of a National Trade Platform, NTP, a vehicle for trade facilitation in partnership with the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS.
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| Managing Director of NPA, Hadiza Bala Usmand |
Managing Director of NPA, Ms. Hadiza Bala Usman, who dropped this hint weekend in Lagos during a presentation at the second edition of All Maritime Journalists Retreat organized by the Association of Maritime Journalist of Nigeria, AMJON, held at the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria, ASCON, Topo, Badagry, explained that the collaboration will be in three phases, import and exports, scanner and community system.
Consequently, Usman said NPA has established a new single interface station at each port nationwide, to capture, track and record information on all goods arriving and leaving Nigeria.
She said, “The Authority is working with the Nigeria Customs Service to roll out a National Trade Platform, NTP, with three units, namely the single window platform (imports and exports), scanning services and port community system”, adding that the NTP has reached an advanced stage, and would cover both seaports and land borders.
She continues, “As most of you already know, the ports play a significant role in the socio-economic development of any nation and you cannot talk of economic growth without the recognition of the fact that critical assets such as the seaports are the main facilitator of our collective prosperity as a nation.
“The hard infrastructures comprise physical elements such as the quay aprons and walls, ports internal roads, power plants, water works, lighting and security structures, channel maintenance among others.’’
Similarly, Usman informed that the Lagos channel has achieved a draught of 13.5meters depth, following the removal of over 100 shipwrecks from the channel. Consequently, the ports in Lagos, she said, now receives container carriers of about 250meters length, laden with 3,500 twenty-foot equivalent unit, TEUs.
To achieve an overall efficient channel services, the NPA boss announced it has commenced the dredging of the Escravos Channel, which has already impeded the large volume of cargo traffic to the Delta Port.
She said the authority has made massive investments in infrastructure with the acquisition of marine crafts to serve merchant ships calling the nation’s ports.
She stated: “The deepening of the Escravos Channel and provision of modern navigational aids would transform Warri seaport and attract big vessels and ocean going barges to that part of the country where a lot of oil and gas activities are domiciled. The investments include acquisition of a fleet of marine crafts, two of which were deployed during the historic berthing of the Egina FPSO.’’
First published In Vanguard
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