NIMASA DG: Ports needs connectivity to rail, road transport for productivity

NIMASA DG: Ports needs connectivity to rail, road transport for productivity

.Calls for reduction in turnaround time of vessels

By Udeme Clement & Michael Chisom

The Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside has stressed the importance of effective intermodal connectivity to port efficiency, stated that good Port- city linkage systems would facilitate seamless transport and create immeasurable positive effect on the economy.

Dr. Dakuku made this known while speaking at the CRANS MONTANA FORUM CLUB OF PORTS , held in Brussels, Belgium.

According to him, “The quality of rail and road transport connection to a port has an impact on cargo throughput in the port. The efficiency of a port is measured by the average quantity of import and export cargoes it is able to handle per day. A port with bad road and rail facilities will have low cargo throughput, all other factors remaining equal.  While ships start and end their journey in a port, the cargoes in most cases originate and end up far from the ports. This in effect implies that without connection of other modes of transport to a seaport, especially rail and road transport, the port becomes crippled and the sea transport becomes inefficient”

He noted that some port managements, particularly in developing countries do not still understand the level of impact effective intermodal connectivity has on the efficiency of their ports.  The NIMASA DG pointed out to the International audience that Nigeria under the current leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, through the Federal Ministry of Transportation is investing heavily on linking all major sea ports and airports to the  cities through rail and good access roads to further boost the economy.

In his words “The Nigerian government currently is investing heavily in rail project to link both the seaports and the airports to all major cities in the country. Our quest to enhance the quality of rail and road transport connection to all ports in Nigeria is to ensure seamless transportation of goods and services through the ports”.

Dakuku went on, “The turnaround time in most African ports is too high because of inefficiency and lack of necessary port infrastructure, which leads to longer dwell time for vessels and cargoes in the ports. The resultant effect is high demurrage, which is eventually passed over to the final consumer.

“The transport cost adds between 2 percent and 5 percent to the final cost of imported cargoes in developed countries, it is as much as 15 percent to 50 percent in developing countries”.

The NIMASA DG charged port managements in other developing nations to invest in effective intermodal connectivity, in order to enhance their port operations, adding that an efficient land transport system will ensure vessels idle time in the port is highly minimised. This, he said, will reduce the turnaround time of vessels as well as increasing the berth occupancy ratio of the port to make it more competitive and profitable.