In furtherance to the plans of finding lasting solutions to problem of incessant gridlock limiting movement and the growth of businesses around Apapa metropolis, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has put in formal request to take over the reconstruction of the failed portions of the Tin-Can Island axis of the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway.
Also, the NPA has issued seven-day deadline to all shipping companies using the nation’s seaports to develop functional holding-bays for receiving their empty containers to reduce the volume of trucks queuing on the roads leading to the ports.
However, the concerns created by the inefficiency on the part of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and lack of synergy between the Corporation and terminal operators in consolidating the gains of moving cargo away from the ports using rail wagons, was also brought to light.
These were the outcome of the First Quarter Stakeholders’ Engagement organised by the NPA, and chaired by Hadiza Bala-Usman, its managing director, on Friday.
“The NPA is prioritising road construction and we have made a request to the Federal Ministry of Transportation to facilitate getting approval from the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing to enable the NPA take over the reconstruction of the Tin-Can Island Expressway,” Usman said at the meeting.
According to Usman, the funding for the reconstruction can be sourced from the NPA, and can be considered as part of the authority’s contribution to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) of the Federal Government.
Usman, who disclosed that the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and the NPA recently declared revenues of over N1.1 trillion and N299.8 billion, respectively, 70 percent of which is generated from the Lagos ports, also observed the need to prioritise these ports in terms of infrastructural deployment.
“Therefore, if the Ministry of Works is not ready to prioritise the reconstruction of Tin-Can Island road, the Federal Ministry of Transportation through the NPA should take over the responsibility,” she advised.
Stating that some of the terminal operators have raised concerns about recklessness of NRC drivers, who bring wagons to the ports to evacuate cargo, she promised that the NPA would together with NRC and terminal operators develop a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to ensure that there is cargo evacuation using rail.
She frowned at complains reaching the authority that some shipping companies and terminal operators had been having some arrangement where they build demurrage, which consumers were forced to pay.
“This is completely unacceptable, and we are going to commence sanction within seven days to any terminal operator that connive with shipping companies to short-change consumers. NPA will also withdraw its services to any shipping company that fails to comply with the rule of utilising holding-bay for empty containers by denying them access into the Nigerian waterways,” she stated.
She further promised, that the NPA would as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), partner the Apapa Local Government to provide additional support for waste collection within Apapa.
Remi Ogungbemi, chairman, Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), called on the NPA to consider the use of electronic call-up system in controlling the movement of trucks and trailers into Apapa to reduce the traffic on the roads.
He suggested the need to build a common user holding-bay that could be designated for receiving empty containers for onward movement into the ports using barges.
Vicky Haastrup, executive vice chairman of ENL Consortium, called on the contractor in charge of the ongoing reconstruction works on Apapa-Wharf road to put in more effort and ensure timely delivery of the road project.
Haastrup, who advised NRC to make use of experienced and responsible wagon drivers to avoid man-made accidents in the ports, also identified the need for serious traffic management on Apapa roads to reduce the impact of gridlock on port business.
