Bello-Koko: AfCFTA Will Make Nigerian Ports Logistics Hub in Africa
L-R: DG NIWA, Dr, George Moghalu, MD NPA, Mohammed Bello Koko, Minister of State for Transportation, Prince Ademola Adewole Adegoroye, Permanent Secretary, FMOT, Dr, Magdalene Ajani at the NPA stand during the 9th African Shippers’ Day in Lagos.
The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority(NPA), Mohammed Bello Koko has said that the take-off of African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) will make Nigerian Ports logistics hub as far as ports services are concerned in Africa.
Bello Koko who presented a keynote address during the 9th edition of the Union of African Shippers’ Council (UASC) held in Lagos said it was time for everyone to take advantage of the opportunities in AfCFTA.
He disclosed that his organization has been working to deploy the port community system for trade facilitation through the technical guidance of the International Maritime Organisation(IMO).
He explained that the deployment of the Port Community System (PCS) will make it possible to respond to the dictates of global trade.
According to him, “the theme of this year’s commemoration, ‘African Continental Free Trade Agreement: A Veritable Platform for African Shippers to Mainstream into Global Trade’, is a clarion call on us all to intensify the synergies necessary to take maximum advantage of the new vistas of opportunities inherent in AfCFTA Agreement.
“For us at the Nigerian Ports Authority the commencement of AfCFTA symbolizes a lot of positives, because it provides a launch pad for the actualisation of our strategic intent of becoming the maritime logistics hub for sustainable ports services in Africa.
“I am the more delighted by the fact this year’s Shippers’ Day is coinciding with the operationalization of the Lekki Deep Seaport which apart from being Nigeria’s first Deep Seaport, is also the first fully automated port at take-off.”
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“We have put measures in place to ensure that this operational template of full automation at take-off will govern the operationalization of not just the forthcoming Badagry, Ibom and Bonny Deep Seaports, but also of the reconstruction of the aged Tin-Can Port, where work is set to commence once we secure the necessary approvals from the Federal Ministry of Transportation and FEC respectively.”
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