‘Nigeria’s ports need functional scanners for effective 24-hour operations’

For port users to enjoy the gains of 24-hour port operations, which recently took effect in the nation’s seaports in line with the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ contained in the Executive Order signed by Yemi Osinbajo, the acting President, the scanners at the nation’s ports must be replaced or repaired to become functional, Taiwo Afolabi, group executive/vice chairman of SIFAX Group, says.
A statement issued at the weekend by Muyiwa Akande, corporate affairs manager of SIFAX Group, quoted Afolabi saying that the scanners in most ports across the country were not in a good state, making it difficult, if not impossible, for the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to discharge its duty of container inspection effectively.
“Most scanners at our ports are either completely broken down or functioning well below installed capacity. This has left the personnel of the Customs with no other option than to do 100 percent physical examination of cargoes. This comes with huge difficulties and impedes quality and efficient service delivery, which the Ease of Doing Business executive order is trying to address,” according to the statement.
In order to address the problem of faulty scanners, Afolabi urged the Federal Government to consider the option of concessioning as the current economic reality in the country had made it impracticable for the government alone to shoulder the responsibility of infrastructure provision in critical sectors of the economy.
“The model of concessioning is already a success in the maritime sector. The last 11 years of private sector involvement in port terminal management has brought great improvement to service delivery. I am convinced that such feat could be extended to the scanning service if the Federal Government gives private investors the opportunity of managing the process again,” he said.
The SIFAX boss also pointed that functional scanners at the ports are necessary for national security in view of the recent cases of illegal arms importation through the nation’s seaports. He argued that such illegal importation of arms would have been discovered during cargo examination with the aid of functional scanners.
Afolabi however pleaded with the NPA’s to strictly enforce the approved number of government agencies allowed to station at the ports, adding that such would greatly help to fulfil the ease of doing business mandate.
Jonathan Nicole, President Shippers’ Association of Lagos, who commended the government for the new order, said that if well implemented, it would not only reduce the time spent in clearing goods from 21 days to two days, but will also help in reducing the cost of doing business at the ports.
“If the federal government succeeds in implementing the 24-hour port operation, Nigerian seaports would become user-friendly and more efficient by reducing the dwell time of cargo and ensuring faster turnaround time for ships calling the ports,” Nicole added.
AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE