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BPE Decries Non-Passage Of Ports, NTC Bills

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The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) has said that the non-passage of Ports and Harbour Bill, the National Transport Commission Bill and other bills has rendered some critical aspects of port reform ineffective.
The Acting Director-General of the BPE, Dr Vincent Akpotaire, said this in a paper titled: “Port Reform, Objectives, Benefits and Challenges’’, presented at a two-day retreat  in Lagos, Saturday.
The retreat was organised by the House Committee on Ports, Harbour and Waterways, the Federal Ministry of Transportation and its agencies. Akpotaire said the Ports and Harbour Act was meant to strengthen the NPA to perform its role of landlord and technical regulator.
According to him, the National Transport Commission Act will establish a commission as the economic regulator for all the transport modes except aviation.
Akpotaire said that the speedy passage of the port reform bills was necessary to establish an efficient, strong legal and regulatory framework to ensure fairness and protect the interest of all port operators.
He, however, said the assessment of the BPE was that an appreciable level of success had been achieved in all the anticipated areas of port concession in the last 10 years.
According to him, the concessionaires had invested in both cargo handling equipment and upgrade of facilities.
“Operators had secured their terminals in line with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.
“Improved operational efficiency has been recorded in our ports.
“ Ship waiting time reduced from 21-24 days to o-24 hours.
“Average Ship turn around time reduced from 12 days to about 4 days.
“Average dwelling time of containers reduced from over 30 days to les then 10 days./
“Average container moves per hour increased from 7 TEUs (20 ft container)  to 19 TEUs (20 ft container)
“There is improved berth occupancy rate and reduced number of government agencies,’’ Akpotaire said.
The BPE chief said government generated N6.03 million dollars from concession fees, entry fees and projected throughput fees in 10 years.
He said the NPA had been unable to meet its contractual obligation of dredging the channels and berths to advertised drafts.
“The NPA has through its outsourcing channels management recorded considerable achievements in improving navigability of the channels,’’ Akpotaire said.
He said that then presence of wrecks and other obstructions in the berths and along port approaches had resulted in low patronage of the affected terminals.
Akpotaire also mentioned non-functional rail access and congested road access as contributing to high transport fare and congestion at the ports.
“The directive to reduce the number of government agencies at port is still not fully enforced in spite of efforts by the  Nigerian Shippers’ Council and Nigeria Customs Service  (NCS),’’ NAN quotes him as saying.
He also talked about inconsistent government policies on international trade and other aspects of ports administration which were threatening the full realisation of the objectives of port reform.
According to him, the Central Bank of Nigeria policy of foreign exchange has negatively affected the ability of terminal operators to source necessary funds to either meet the financial obligations to NPA  and other government agencies of for other developmental purposes.
“High vulnerability of the terminal waterfront resulting in attacks by hoodlums and pirates on the facilities and vessels berthed at the jetties.
“No proper coordination between various agencies operating within the ports and even between tiers of governments.
“There is absence of effective linkage among the various modes of transportation,’’ Akpotaire said.
He, however, said there was need for develop new ports based on a master plan for port development believed to have been developed by NPA.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

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National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
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