NPA partners stakeholders to tackle high port charges

• Collaborates with British Embassy to make ports competitive

The Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms Hadiza Bala Usman, has assured maritime industry stakeholders that the authority will introduce a quarterly stakeholders meeting to know the plight of operators, while it will study respective tariffs across ports in West and Central Africa as a whole and compare with what obtains in Nigeria.

She promised that, should it be discovered that Nigerian ports are more expensive, the agency shall recommend to the Federal Government to reduce port charges to enable more cargoes come into Nigerian ports.
Usman made this disclosure during a working visit to the secretariat of the National Association of Government-Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF).

She also disclosed that the right facilities had been put in place at the various ports to absorb the anticipated cargo surge, adding that all terminal operators were ready to take up the challenge.

“Our operators are very much ready to take on additional cargoes that would come following the restriction of imported vehicles through the land borders. The Nigerian ports are ready to take on the expected increased traffic. We believe the ban is a step in the right direction because we feel there is a need for us to enhance and sustain importation and earn more revenue”, she said.
In his response the founder of NAGAFF, Dr Boniface Aniebonam, appreciated the NPA boss for visiting stakeholders, describing her as the first MD to have done this.

Also speaking at the national secretariat of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Usman said there is the need for government to look at corruption at the ports and how to plug the leakages to make the ports more competitive in the area of appropriate pricing.

She said the essence of her visit was to interact directly with critical stakeholders to discuss issues burning on the minds of the stakeholders and to seek collaborations on how to solve some of the challenges.

Addressing the ANLCA members, she said, “I am sure that not all of you are aware that I am a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption. The committee in 2017 is coming to domicile an office in the Nigerian Ports Authority on implementing a report that was submitted by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission on the corruption index in ports administration. We shall embark strongly on anti-corruption measures in 2017”.

In another development, The British High Commission and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) have resolved to work together to improve port development in Nigeria.

The resolution was made during a courtesy visit to NPA’s head office in Marina, Lagos by the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright, who was received by the Managing Director of the authority, Hadiza Usman, Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Mohammed Belo-Koko and Executive Director, Marine and Operations, Dr Sekonte Davies, and other management staff of the authority.
In a statement by the authority’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Chief Michael Ajayi, while the High Commissioner promised to assist the authority to address the challenges facing Nigerian ports, Usman also pledged stronger relationship with United Kingdom’s companies operating in the Nigerian maritime sector.

Arkwright, who identified piracy as one of the major challenges in the country’s maritime industry said that Britain would make significant contribution to enhance operational efficiency in the port.

He stressed the need to support NPA towards find a lasting solution to the issue of piracy in the country’s waters.
Also, the managing director said that NPA would welcome any assistance that would boost port efficiency from Britain in order to move the port forward.