Insecurity, bad roads hinder 24-hr port operation

Seaport terminals have identified insecurity and bad roads as the reasons 24 hours port operations is yet to take off at the nation’s ports.

The terminal operators also appealed to the Federal Government to speedily conclude the construction of port access roads, describing the roads as the biggest challenge increasing the cost of doing business at the ports.

The operators made this appeal when the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mr. Hassan Bello, led the Council for an inspection of terminals in Lagos yesterday. 

However, Bello admitted that security issues, bank operations and poor lighting could affect 24-hour operations, adding that government would look at how the issues can be addressed in order to have seamless port operations in the country. 

The NSC boss told the terminal operators that the next achievement should be 24/7 port operations, as it would decongest the ports.

However, he said that the Council is not adverse to an upward review of charges, adding that any review should be reflected in service delivery and the procedures should be carried out in an orderly manner.

Bello commended Ports & Cargo Terminal for its improvement in automation, adding that the company should strive to attain a position where all of its services are done online.

“All transactions should be done online. As an indigenous operator, we want you to be number one in digitization. When we had the last rating on automation, you scored 25 per cent but we are happy that it’s 50 per cent today. We encourage you to attain 70 per cent in the next three weeks,” Bello said.

He commended Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) for its high level automation, noting that the company is rated 90 per cent for automation and shippers have commended the terminal as the best for seamless online transactions.

Meanwhile, during an interaction with NSC, the Managing Director of Ports and Cargo Handling Services Limited, Mr. John Jenkins, argued that if the Tin Can Island Port access road works efficiently, the cost of doing business would reduce.

Jenkins also noted that the challenge on the port access roads has resulted in congestion inside the port terminal as the efforts to speedily evacuate cargoes are being hampered by the access roads.

He posited that there is a need to increase terminal handling charges as cost of operations, salaries and other fees associated with port business have increased.

“We need to increase tariff because we haven’t done so in over nine years while the cost of operations have increased. Our workers are expecting an increase in salaries. The cost of fuel and other necessary costs have also increased,” Jenkins said.