Stakeholders Task FG on Application of Technological Innovations at Ports
By Francis Ugwoke
Stakeholders in the maritime industry have called on the federal government, particularly the Ministry of Transportation and its agencies to show more commitment on technological innovations capable of achieving efficient trade facilitation at the nation’s ports.
The stakeholders said government and its agencies should strive to eliminate manual and analogue processes and seek to integrate communication links between private operators such as ship agents, terminal operators, customs licensed brokers, CBN, other banks, Customs, SON, NAFDAC, NDLEA, the Police, Plant Quarantine and other relevant government agencies online real-time vide Single Window Portal.
The charge was contained in a communiqué issued during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of League of Maritime Editors and Publishers held last week Thursday at Topo Badagry, Lagos.
The stakeholders called on the Nigeria Customs Service to expedite action on the deployment of scanners for goods examination at the ports.
The Customs management was also reminded that it could do better by deploying drones in the fight against smuggling activities.
Part of the communiqué signed by the Chairman, Communique Drafting Committee, Mr Eguono odjegba, reads, “That our port system should integrate the various hitech innovations such as blockchain technology, AI etc which are resistant to forgery, hacking of data and reinforces generally safe, secure and immutable.
4. That government should start increasing it’s smart ports operations and trade facilitation through the instrumentality of innovations such as Internet of Things (IoT), already operational in European ports such as the Port of Rotterdam in collaboration with Industrial Business Machines (IBM).
This innovations can create a centralized dashboard application that will collect real-time water, weather and communications data, which will be used to reduce wait times for ships, determine optimal times for ships to dock, load and unload; and enable more ships to enter the port with dispatch.
This allows for installation of sensors across a wide stretch of the ports, spanning the port’s quay walls, roads and mooring posts to enhance the security architecture and operational efficiency of the ports.
5. It was further resolved that given our knack for hitech borrowing, our government should adopt the Rotterdam which for example can registers with clear precision, the license plates of incoming and outgoing vehicles through cameras, accurately monitor trucks and other carrying units at the entrances of each terminal in order to control, plan and order the internal traffic of the port.
It has the capability to also include forecasting systems and security alerts, among many other things; terminal cargo handling equipment such as cranes and straddle carriers are fitted with sensors and chips that automatically directs the drivers in the direction of containers using container numbers as guide.
6. It was further resolved that to achieve real time trade facilitation in our ports, government should enforce a coordinated, integrated information and communication systems between private operators and government agencies under a Single Window System.
7.To take the issue of suppression of smuggling a notch higher, it was recommended that government should introduce deployment of drones in the port corridors to enhance monitoring and tracking.
8. That the Nigeria Customs Service should invest in body cameras, which footages will also be very useful evidence in monitoring and tracking.
9. To deal decisively with the challenge of customs multiple checks and it’s attendant negative effects, it was recommended that all special units of Customs such as Federal Operations, Strike Force, Customs Intelligence units should should be allowed to participate in cargo examination so the release will be seamless.
10. It was also resolved that in other to eliminate unwarranted delays costly to economic growth, the federal government should consider the collapse the Federal Ministry of Transport and the establishment of a stand alone Ministry of Maritime Transport, and the Ministry of Land Transport, to cater for rail and roads.
CONCLUSION
Experts and stakeholders at the workshop agreed that whereas technology will immensely drive trade facilitation and the suppression of smuggling activities, there was a consensus that innovations such as drones, blockchain, IoT, AI ICT, etc would serve as an immense catalyst in achieving results.
To reduce the challenge of avoidable human interferences, government was tasked to expedite action on the urgent deployment of cargo scanners that have been procured and are left wasting away under false pretenses.
It was also noted that official bureaucratic bottlenecks have slowed down the country’s growth projection, wherefore, it was recommended that the federal government should consider the urgent unbundling of the transportation ministry into maritime and rail/roads autonomous ministries”.
The outgoing President of League, Mr Kingsley Anaroke had in his welcome address stated that the theme: “The Role of Technology in Trade Facilitation and Smuggling Suppression” was relevant today given the rising incidence of smuggling, especially via the Land borders across the country.
He said, “ This has led to loss of revenue to the nation. But on the flip- side, if trade facilitation had taken a priority focus of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS),the incidence of smuggling would have been reduced. However, these two seeming diametrically opposed dilemma have called for an intervening tool for management which is technology”.
NNPC Board Chairman, Iheanacho, Agbakoba, Usoro, Others Set for Maritime. Offshore Award
Stakeholders in the maritime industry have called on the federal government, particularly the Ministry of Transportation and its agencies to show more commitment on technological innovations capable of achieving efficient trade facilitation at the nation’s ports.
The stakeholders said government and its agencies should strive to eliminate manual and analogue processes and seek to integrate communication links between private operators such as ship agents, terminal operators, customs licensed brokers, CBN, other banks, Customs, SON, NAFDAC, NDLEA, the Police, Plant Quarantine and other relevant government agencies online real-time vide Single Window Portal.
The charge was contained in a communiqué issued during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of League of Maritime Editors and Publishers held last week Thursday at Topo Badagry, Lagos.
The stakeholders called on the Nigeria Customs Service to expedite action on the deployment of scanners for goods examination at the ports.
The Customs management was also reminded that it could do better by deploying drones in the fight against smuggling activities.
Part of the communiqué signed by the Chairman, Communique Drafting Committee, Mr Eguono odjegba, reads, “That our port system should integrate the various hitech innovations such as blockchain technology, AI etc which are resistant to forgery, hacking of data and reinforces generally safe, secure and immutable.
4. That government should start increasing it’s smart ports operations and trade facilitation through the instrumentality of innovations such as Internet of Things (IoT), already operational in European ports such as the Port of Rotterdam in collaboration with Industrial Business Machines (IBM).
This innovations can create a centralized dashboard application that will collect real-time water, weather and communications data, which will be used to reduce wait times for ships, determine optimal times for ships to dock, load and unload; and enable more ships to enter the port with dispatch.
This allows for installation of sensors across a wide stretch of the ports, spanning the port’s quay walls, roads and mooring posts to enhance the security architecture and operational efficiency of the ports.
5. It was further resolved that given our knack for hitech borrowing, our government should adopt the Rotterdam which for example can registers with clear precision, the license plates of incoming and outgoing vehicles through cameras, accurately monitor trucks and other carrying units at the entrances of each terminal in order to control, plan and order the internal traffic of the port.
It has the capability to also include forecasting systems and security alerts, among many other things; terminal cargo handling equipment such as cranes and straddle carriers are fitted with sensors and chips that automatically directs the drivers in the direction of containers using container numbers as guide.
6. It was further resolved that to achieve real time trade facilitation in our ports, government should enforce a coordinated, integrated information and communication systems between private operators and government agencies under a Single Window System.
7.To take the issue of suppression of smuggling a notch higher, it was recommended that government should introduce deployment of drones in the port corridors to enhance monitoring and tracking.
8. That the Nigeria Customs Service should invest in body cameras, which footages will also be very useful evidence in monitoring and tracking.
9. To deal decisively with the challenge of customs multiple checks and it’s attendant negative effects, it was recommended that all special units of Customs such as Federal Operations, Strike Force, Customs Intelligence units should should be allowed to participate in cargo examination so the release will be seamless.
10. It was also resolved that in other to eliminate unwarranted delays costly to economic growth, the federal government should consider the collapse the Federal Ministry of Transport and the establishment of a stand alone Ministry of Maritime Transport, and the Ministry of Land Transport, to cater for rail and roads.
CONCLUSION
Experts and stakeholders at the workshop agreed that whereas technology will immensely drive trade facilitation and the suppression of smuggling activities, there was a consensus that innovations such as drones, blockchain, IoT, AI ICT, etc would serve as an immense catalyst in achieving results.
To reduce the challenge of avoidable human interferences, government was tasked to expedite action on the urgent deployment of cargo scanners that have been procured and are left wasting away under false pretenses.
It was also noted that official bureaucratic bottlenecks have slowed down the country’s growth projection, wherefore, it was recommended that the federal government should consider the urgent unbundling of the transportation ministry into maritime and rail/roads autonomous ministries”.
The outgoing President of League, Mr Kingsley Anaroke had in his welcome address stated that the theme: “The Role of Technology in Trade Facilitation and Smuggling Suppression” was relevant today given the rising incidence of smuggling, especially via the Land borders across the country.
He said, “ This has led to loss of revenue to the nation. But on the flip- side, if trade facilitation had taken a priority focus of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS),the incidence of smuggling would have been reduced. However, these two seeming diametrically opposed dilemma have called for an intervening tool for management which is technology”.
NNPC Board Chairman, Iheanacho, Agbakoba, Usoro, Others Set for Maritime. Offshore Award
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