The former President of the Nigeria Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Eugene Nweke, has said that only a political will would make the 24-hour port operations achievable.
Nweke made the disclosure during the Fifth Town Hall meeting organised by JournalNG held in Lagos on Thursday.
“24 hour port operations is achievable if government would give a clear order to the effect.
“Government should get a regulatory agency to supervise port operations accurately for monitoring and evaluation.
“Once everyone knows what to do, operators will be guided. It will not be a situation where government issues port order without monitoring and no enforcement.
“So, we need a political will to drive our ports for 24-hour port operations in Nigeria”, Nweke said.
He said government agencies should see the transformation as a necessity, same as port stakeholders.
Nweke continued that collaboration and partnership among stakeholders would enable both government and port users achieve 24-hour port operations.
He said any identified bottlenecks delaying the achievement of 24 hours ports operations should be removed and sanctioned accordingly.
He noted that port communities are meant for commercial activities, adding that necessary infrastructure should be considered in the ports to avoid unnecessary human element.

Nweke urged government to improve on infrastructure to make the ports more attractive and friendly for customers.

Also in his presentation, the Chairman, Nigeria Ports Consultative Council (NPCC), Mr. Bolaji Sunmola, said quest to actualise 24-hour port operations in Nigerian seaports was no longer aspirational but necessary.

He said with a carefully sequenced strategy anchored on technology, sustainability, and stakeholder alignment, Nigerian ports could be positioned as efficient, secure, and economically transformative assets.

As Chairman of NPCC, he reaffirmed commitment to this vision by inviting all stakeholders-MDAS, port terminal operators, energy providers, transport unions, and investors to join in executing this transformation.

The Assistant Comptroller, Nigeria Customs Service (NSC), Abass Oladepo, said Customs had been operating 24 hours port operations.

He said at Ports and Terminal Multi Services Ltd. (PTML) command the Customs had commenced 2-hour cargo clearance, adding that averagely in one-year the Command had achieved less than 6-hour ports clearance.

The town hall meeting was to sensitise stakeholders on Customs transformation known as B’Odogwu and urge importers to engage in honest declaration to enable them achieve few minutes cargo clearance.

In his contribution, the Managing Director, ENL Consortium, one of the terminal operators, Mr. Mark Walsh, urged Nigeria banks attached to ports cargo clearance operations to improve their operation to avoid delays in payments.

He commended the Federal Government and the Nigerian Ports Authority for modernising the ports, adding that there was need for 24-hour lighting at the ports, to stop them from running generators 24/7.

He noted that ports operation needs more lighting, especially for security during the night operations.

The General Manager, Trade Modernisation Project (TMP), Mr. Ahmed Ogunsola, urged stakeholders to collaborate and point out challenges hampering 24 hour port operations to provide solutions.

Ogunsola said TMP worked with the NCS to enhance cargo clearance by providing technology backbone, building capacity and to enhance sustainability.

He said 24 hour port operations was achievable with the collaboration of port users.

“The TMP had agreement with the Federal Government to provide 67 scanners and presently we have successfully brought five scanners into the country to modernise Nigeria Customs Service and facilitate trade”, Ogunsola said.

In his opening remarks, the Publisher, JournalNG magazine, Mr. Ismail Aniemu, said the forum gave the stakeholders opportunity to interact and come with recommendations to guide government in policy making.

Aniemu said many ports in Nigeria need to turn to smart ports, adding that Nigeria had competent expertise that would assist government to actualise the dream.

He said some of the port users were operating 24 hours and there was need fornit to be sustained collectively.