The volume of vehicles imported into Nigeria’s market through the nation’s seaports grew in the first and second quarters of the year 2017 when compared with the corresponding period of 2016. According to the latest provisional statistics released by the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) and obtained by BusinessDay, the volume of imported used and new vehicles grew by 14.21 per cent to 61,299 units from the 52,591 units recorded same period in the previous year.
NPA statistics also revealed that the volume of containerised goods imported into the country within same period decreased by 0.81 per cent to 382,821 twenty equivalent units (TEUs), compared with 385,926 TEUs recorded same period in the preceding year of 2016.
The NPA statistics further show that the volume of cargo throughput comprising of imported general cargo, dry bulk cargo and liquid bulk cargo, also recorded significant growth in the first six months of the year.
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The volume of cargo throughput grew by 45.55 per cent to 21,461,642 million metric tons compared with 11,686,421 million metric tons recorded the same period in the previous year of 2016. Commenting on this, a source very close to a terminal in Lagos, told our correspondent, that volume of business in Nigeria’s seaports especially in the first half of the year, did not have any significant difference from what happed all through the previous year of 2016.
He said that though statistics showing the volume of import in the third quarter of the year is yet to be released by NPA, that there was lots of increase in the volume of import starting from June 2017 till date. Tony Anakebe, a managing director of a Lagos-based clearing and forwarding company, who told our correspondent that though the impact of Federal Government’s ban on importation of vehicles through the land border is yet to be seen in the volume of imported vehicles coming in through the nation’s seaports, noted that the small increase in volume in the first half of the year, shows that importers have now started making effort to bring in their vehicles through the ports.
While lamenting that the volume of the smuggled vehicles coming through the Seme and Idiroko border posts, were still on the high side and have continued to reduce the number that supposed to be brought in through the seaports, Anakebe also called on the Federal Government to further look into the plead of importers by slashing the 70 per cent import duty and levy charged on vehicles that come through the ports.
This, according to him, will help to encourage more importers to make use of the nation’s seaports instead of land borders because with the high tariff in the port, more importers would continue to patronise ports in the neighbouring countries of Cotonou, where it is cheaper to buy and smuggle vehicles into the Nigerian market. He also disclosed that activities at the port show that a lot is currently happening compared to the previous year of 2016.
