Port operations at 50% as NSC eyes higher automation

The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Barr. Hassan Bello on Tuesday said most maritime agencies as well as shipping firms have achieved about 50 per cent automation of their port facilities.

He said full automation of the ports could be reached by March 2021. Speaking in Lagos on Tueday, Bello said: “Automation is sure to make progress. The Regulation Department (NSC) has already given us a report on areas that are already automated and what is the deficit. So many things are done online. NSC has carried out a survey on levels of automation and clearing processes for containerised goods and RORO cargo at shipping lines.”

Bello said the Council has already carried out a survey on areas where automation has taken place at the ports, adding that what the Council would now do was to ensure that other areas where digitalisation has not taken place key into the project.

Industry stakeholders have called for automation as very imperative considering the ravaging coronavirus pandemic.

President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Chief Increase Uche, said that was crucial in ports operation especially with the ravaging coronavirus pandemic.

“We need to depart from this manual processing of any stage of port operation. This should involve everyone, the banks, the freight forwarders, customs facilitation, shipping companies, cargo delivery from the terminal.”