FG Explains Automation at Lekki Sea Port, Improved Cargo Service Delivery
- The Nigerian Ports Authority said it has started wrestling cargoes meant for Nigeria from neighbouring countries
- This disclosure was made by the managing director of the NPA, Mohammed Bello-Koko on Wednesday, April 12
- According to Bello-Koko, the automation process at the Lekki Deep Seaport has improved cargo delivery time from two weeks to two days
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The Federal Government has described the automation at the Lekki Deep Seaport as a game-changer in cargo delivery across Nigeria.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, April 12, the managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Mohammed Bello-Koko said that in the past, importers had always diverted the cargoes meant for Nigerian ports to neighbouring countries’ seaports before the inauguration of Lekki Deep Sea Port.
Source: Facebook
Bello-Koko confirmed that it only takes a maximum of two days for cargo clearing at the port unlike in previous times when delivery lasts up to two weeks.
Also noting that the NPA has continued to wrestle cargoes meant for Nigerian ports from neighbouring countries including Benin Republic, Togo, and Ghana, Bello-Koko said this is the first time a government will start construction of a port, finish and commission it before leaving office.
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His words:
"As you know, the Lekki Deep Seaport has been in the brain box for over 10 years; it is this administration that came in and gave all the necessary support through the Ministry of Transportation and the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA).
``They have done the test run on all the necessary equipment, they have done their recruitments, people have been training and the vessels have started coming in, at least, we had a vessel that came in to take out empty containers and by April, we expect that the first commercial vessel will start coming.
``So business has started actually in Lekki Deep Sea Port. So, everything is ready and it is going to be automated as we said and all the gaps we observed either in Tincan Island Port or Apapa, whether in terms of scanners, equipment and others, you will find all of them in Lekki."
Speaking further, the NPA's MD said that this new delivery system has improved the efficiency of cargo delivery in the agency.
On the progressive revenue generation drive of the NPA and plans to raise the bar by 30 per cent, Bello-Koko reiterated that the Authority had increased revenue from about N317 billion to over N360 billion in 2022.
He added:
"I also said that we would ensure that we increase our revenue. We have increased our revenue from probably about N317 billion to over N360 billion in 2022. We transferred about N80 billion to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) in 2020 and over N91 billion in 2022.
"We have also improved on staff welfare whether it is in terms of their offices, their salaries and allowances, provision of buses, working tools, uniforms where necessary and for the physical port infrastructure, that is a bit of a long term project, but we have gone very far."
Finally, Ports Authority Boss Opens Up on Key Activities of Oil Thieves on Nigeria's Pipelines
Oil thieves across the country are said to exhibit some level of smartness in carrying out their criminal activities.
These thieves, the managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Mohammed Bello-Koko said turn off the automatic identification system of the vessels before engaging in their stock in trade.
According to Bello-Koko, the Federal Government will go ahead and deploy the vessel traffic service (VTS) to monitor the activities around oil pipelines.
Stakeholders Speak on Ease of Doing Business at Seaports, Hail Nigerian Ports Authority MD Bello Koko
Stakeholders in the maritime sector and licensed customs agents have commended the managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello-Koko for the massive improvement in the ease of doing business at Nigeria's seaports.
Some critical stakeholders who spoke on condition of anonymity expressed satisfaction at the improvement in traffic on the port access road virtually rendered activity at the Lagos ports comatose before Bello-Koko’s reforms.
Visits to Warri, Port Harcourt and Calabar also showed massive improvement in infrastructure and orderliness as against what was obtainable at the ports a few years ago.
They applauded the NPA for increased ease of doing business, trade facilitation and the creation of several thousand jobs through effective barge operation.
Source: Legit.ng
