The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) said its current reform process is targeted at improving revenue generation and competitiveness of the nation’s seaports.
Hadiza Bala-Usman, managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), who spoke at a 3-day workshop for journalists organised in collaboration with Premium Times in Lagos, said the reforms would enhance ports operations and make them more competitive.
According to her, the management of NPA was recently recognised by the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO 9001 and the OHSAS 18001 Certification for positive steps in moving the sector forward.
She said a lot of progress have been made in the areas of safety, environmental protection, operational efficiency and improved service delivery.
Represented by Jatto Adams, general manager, Corporate and Strategic Communication of the NPA, she said the authority is currently experiencing reduced operational expenses, better management control, increased customer satisfaction and improved customer service delivery.
According to her , this has made the ports attractive before investors for national growth and development.
Usman identified the commissioning of the Command and Control Communication and intelligence centre for NPA, which will serve as surveillance of all activities and as an information network centre for security agencies in the ports as among the achievements of the authority.
She listed other reforms to include acquisition of four new tub boats to improve on operational efficiency, upgrade of 25 years port development master plan and transformation of NPA’s manpower development practices to improve the skill, knowledge and capacity of employees.
She also identified the reconstruction of the port access road and commissioning of a simulator centre for the training of pilots as among the achievements recorded by the organistion.
Jatto Adams, general manager, Corporate and Strategic Communication of the NPA, has rolled out three strategies aimed at reducing and eliminating the problem of traffic congestion bedevilling the nation’s seaports in Apapa.
He listed the strategies to include short-term solution, which enabled the NPA to partner with private sector to carry out major repair of Apapa-Wharf road.
He said the medium term solution which includes building trailer parks that would make use of call-up system for management of truck movement within the ports.
According to him, the NPA is partnering with the Federal Ministry of Works to ensure that the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway is repaired to ease the suffering of Port users.
Jatto, who disclosed that the authority also has a long-term solution that will cater for the construction of the rail system for ease of cargo evacuation via rail, adding the rail will make Nigerian Ports friendly and competitive.
AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE
