Dantsoho Promises More Investments in Ports to Achieve Efficiency in Operations
• Says all terminals to have electronic integration to advance national single window
By Francis Ugwoke
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, on Wednesday said the organisation is committed to investing more in ports facilities to achieve the desired efficiency in operations.
Dantsoho said that the plan of the NPA is for all the terminals to have electronic integration under the Port Community System, adding that this will now advance into the National Single Window (NSW).
According to him, “this is a major project of the federal government and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, who has been focused on that.”
The MD who was on tour of the Apapa and Tin Can Ports facilities called on all terminal operators to take advantage of the investor-friendliness of the present administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and invest more.
According to him, “I would like to implore all terminal operators to take advantage of the investor-friendliness of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and put in more investment. Given Nigeria’s huge population, Nigerian Ports definitely deserve greater investment than what is currently obtainable.
“In alignment with the World Ports Sustainability program, this Management is keen on Ports eco-friendliness, and we will insist on investor compliance with this global imperative. On our part as a regulator we assure you of all the facilitation necessary to protect your investment and guarantee return on investment.
“As you are aware, with the commitment of the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, the NPA has concluded the final phase of the Port Community System (PCS) which will provide the linkage backbone for the forthcoming National Single Window (NSW) project.
“We must translate our vision of being the maritime logistics hub for sustainable Port services in Africa to reality as quickly as possible”
He said that the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports were very important to the nation’s economy, adding that the organisation was ready to upgrade the ports under the port modernisation programme.
On automation, he said, “we will begin implementation of PCS. We will be on the same page with our terminal operators, other government agencies and our stakeholders. APM Terminals is 100 percent ready for the PCS and ABTL is almost ready.
“All the terminals will have electronic integration, what is called the Port Community System, which will now advance into the National Single Window (NSW). This is a major project of the federal government and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, who has been focused on that.”
Dantsoho while canvassing for the support of the terminal operators disclosed that they have been investing in equipment and infrastructure, and commended them for this.
He, however, urged them to continue in this line, so that the purpose of concessioning the ports by the government can be achieved.
He said, “Compared to the last 20 years, or even more, the reform that ended in 2006 was a clear departure from when NPA was doing both the cargo and the shipping part of the business. Right from 2006, NPA is structured in the way that we are concentrating on the ship side of the business, private sector are involved in the cargo handling, and the essence of bringing the terminal operators is for Nigeria to be able to have a more advanced infrastructure and equipment without using pubic sector fund.
“So, if you bring in private sector practitioners, such as terminal operators, what is expected of them by Nigeria is for them to improve infrastructure and equipment, that is the key objective. And as you can see, we have achieved part of the aim.
“You know, in Apapa, we have a company or terminal operators like APMT, like ABTL, and then at Tin Can, we have Five Star Logistics and others, they are doing their best to improve these two things I have mentioned, infrastructure and equipment.
“But, that is not to say that we are where we want to be or that we have achieved 100% of the goal we set out to achieve at the beginning of the day but, we are looking to see how we can improve the relationship, how we can integrate in a way that we can move faster and because of that, government is trying to see how it is going to be as soon as possible.”
He further disclosed that the purpose of the tour was to have face to face interaction with the staff of the organisation and other stakeholders on the field.
He said that the next tour of the ports would be the “Eastern ports, that is, Port Harcourt, Calabar, and all that”.
By Francis Ugwoke
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, on Wednesday said the organisation is committed to investing more in ports facilities to achieve the desired efficiency in operations.
Dantsoho said that the plan of the NPA is for all the terminals to have electronic integration under the Port Community System, adding that this will now advance into the National Single Window (NSW).
According to him, “this is a major project of the federal government and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, who has been focused on that.”
The MD who was on tour of the Apapa and Tin Can Ports facilities called on all terminal operators to take advantage of the investor-friendliness of the present administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and invest more.
According to him, “I would like to implore all terminal operators to take advantage of the investor-friendliness of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and put in more investment. Given Nigeria’s huge population, Nigerian Ports definitely deserve greater investment than what is currently obtainable.
“In alignment with the World Ports Sustainability program, this Management is keen on Ports eco-friendliness, and we will insist on investor compliance with this global imperative. On our part as a regulator we assure you of all the facilitation necessary to protect your investment and guarantee return on investment.
“As you are aware, with the commitment of the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, the NPA has concluded the final phase of the Port Community System (PCS) which will provide the linkage backbone for the forthcoming National Single Window (NSW) project.
“We must translate our vision of being the maritime logistics hub for sustainable Port services in Africa to reality as quickly as possible”
He said that the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports were very important to the nation’s economy, adding that the organisation was ready to upgrade the ports under the port modernisation programme.
On automation, he said, “we will begin implementation of PCS. We will be on the same page with our terminal operators, other government agencies and our stakeholders. APM Terminals is 100 percent ready for the PCS and ABTL is almost ready.
“All the terminals will have electronic integration, what is called the Port Community System, which will now advance into the National Single Window (NSW). This is a major project of the federal government and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, who has been focused on that.”
Dantsoho while canvassing for the support of the terminal operators disclosed that they have been investing in equipment and infrastructure, and commended them for this.
He, however, urged them to continue in this line, so that the purpose of concessioning the ports by the government can be achieved.
He said, “Compared to the last 20 years, or even more, the reform that ended in 2006 was a clear departure from when NPA was doing both the cargo and the shipping part of the business. Right from 2006, NPA is structured in the way that we are concentrating on the ship side of the business, private sector are involved in the cargo handling, and the essence of bringing the terminal operators is for Nigeria to be able to have a more advanced infrastructure and equipment without using pubic sector fund.
“So, if you bring in private sector practitioners, such as terminal operators, what is expected of them by Nigeria is for them to improve infrastructure and equipment, that is the key objective. And as you can see, we have achieved part of the aim.
“You know, in Apapa, we have a company or terminal operators like APMT, like ABTL, and then at Tin Can, we have Five Star Logistics and others, they are doing their best to improve these two things I have mentioned, infrastructure and equipment.
“But, that is not to say that we are where we want to be or that we have achieved 100% of the goal we set out to achieve at the beginning of the day but, we are looking to see how we can improve the relationship, how we can integrate in a way that we can move faster and because of that, government is trying to see how it is going to be as soon as possible.”
He further disclosed that the purpose of the tour was to have face to face interaction with the staff of the organisation and other stakeholders on the field.
He said that the next tour of the ports would be the “Eastern ports, that is, Port Harcourt, Calabar, and all that”.
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