NPA, Customs partner to remove containers from ports

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman has said the NPA is engaging with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to remove overtime containers from the nation’s ports and open space for incoming ones.

The NPA boss disclosed this during the commissioning of new mobile cranes acquired by APMT.

She said: “We are also working with terminal operators to increase the barging of containers to take the pressure off the roads. We have noted significant growth in barging capacity and operations with more containers moved daily by barges from the port.”

Usman said NPA had advised terminal operators to upgrade their facilities to accommodate bigger vessels, adding that as the seaports become more efficient, efforts must be made to enhance cargo delivery and free the ports of long-standing cargo.

According to the NPA boss, cargo volumes at the port have witnessed a steady rise due to favourable government policies, adding that NPA has continued to engage with private terminal operators to rise to the challenge of the increased cargo traffic.

She explained that the engagement with the operators was yielding desired results as evidenced by the commissioning of the two new mobile harbor cranes, among other facilities.