Operational efficiency : NPA to get rid of overtime cargoes in the ports

Operational efficiency :
NPA to get rid of overtime cargoes in the ports

Apparently, the pragmatic steps taken by Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA)
to decongest the ports for operational efficiency are making
positive impacts, as NPA management under the leadership of Mr Mohammed Bello -Koko is set to rid the Ports and all off dock facilities of overtime cargoes.

This initiative becomes imperative as Lagos, TinCan Island Port Complexes, as well as the Terminals, including Ikorodu Lighter Terminal had over the years been occupied with 3,200 units of overtime cargoes and about 3,295 units of overtime containers.

More so, the Eastern ports have a  total of 956 overtime containers.

Recall that the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation Dr. Magdelene Ajani, led an inter-agency team comprising of officials of NPA, Nigerian Customs (NCS) and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), on assessment tour of overtime cargoes littering the Ports on June 23, 2023.

This congestion aside from constraining terminal spaces required for seamless cargo handling operations in the ports, contributed to deterioration of port infrastructure  designed as transit locations as opposed to holding dead weight tonnages for years, which these long overtime cargoes constitute.

Also, all stakeholders’ sensitisation programme involving Shipping Lines, Freight Forwarders, Clearing Agents and relevant stakeholders was convened on Monday, June 26 2023, where it was unanimously agreed that all cargoes and containers that had overstayed their required time at the Ports must be auctioned in their current locations and removed immediately from the Ports.

Thus, to assure transparency and inclusiveness, the modalities to guide the auction process will be finalised by all stakeholders, after a similar sensitization meeting with stakeholders in the eastern ports of Warri, Rivers, Onne and Calabar must have been concluded.

To industry players, this bold step  taken by NPA management is a welcome development, as the NPA boss had severally sought the cooperation of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to ensure speedy removal of overtime cargoes from the Ports and terminal yards, in order to free up space and preserve the durability of capital intensive port infrastructure for greater productivity.