By Steve Agbota [email protected]
The Managing Director/CEO Nigerian Ports Authority, Mohammed Bello -Koko, has charged terminal operators to ensure compliance with the Federal Government National Action Plan on Agro – Export development.
Bello-Koko disclosed this yesterday during the commissioning of DiamonStar Export processing terminal at Lillypond in Lagos.
According to him: “For our terminal operators, shipping companies and other stakeholders, you have been fully briefed on the procedure for ensuring success of the Federal Government’s National Action Plan on Agro – Export development in the country. You have a responsibility to ensure strict compliance in this regard.”
He assured investors that NPA would continue to encourage patriotic local investors by deliberately deploying specific policies to strengthen them.
He said the Commissioning of DiamondStar Export Processing Terminal as a pre-gate for processing all export bound containers entering Lagos Ports using the road corridor was a demonstration of the premium placed on the speedy and priority in handling of export.
He also noted that the initiative signposts the Nigerian Ports Authority’s commitment to implementation of the National Action Plan on Agro-Export and the Federal Government of Nigeria desire to diversify the national economy from oil export to non-oil exports.
“The Authority is by this move positioning to infuse greater efficiency into the logistics surrounding the entry of export boxes into the ports and the eventual loading on sea-going vessels. The launch of this and other terminals also strategically positions Nigeria to optimize the advantages of the benefits inherent in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) Agreement.”
He emphasised that movement of agro export boxes arriving the ports from Lagos and Ogun states shall only be from this terminal and four others already granted approval and shall be officially presented with their licenses.
“For export containers arriving from the Domestic Export Warehouses (DEW) located across the country, the Authority is committed to receiving them subject to compliance with the traffic management put in place by the Lagos State Government who have provided the enforcement backbone under a collaborative relationship that has ensured the success of our electronic call up project.”
The NPA boss maintained that they would work with stakeholders and their colleagues in the Nigerian Customs to find the balance necessary to ensure the desired outcome.
“The need for the Export Processing Terminals (EPTs) is underscored by the limitations of current port facilities in the Lagos area which are operating beyond their ‘as built capacity’ for cargo handling.
The EPTs are therefore holding areas positioned in Lagos and Ogun States to help exporters prepare their arrival at port terminals in-view of the traffic management challenges that are visible in Lagos.
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has served as our technical partners through this journey for which we are truly grateful.”
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director, DiamondStar Ports and Terminals, Mr. Olatunji Baale, said that they are bringing competence, capability, prompt service and continuous engagement with our customers to achieve our targets.
“Moving forward we are going to be seeing quicker delivery of export cargo boxes to the vessels , a seamless delivery; I am glad to inform you that at these terminals we have all the government agencies that are in charge of examination and processing of export terminals,” he said.
On the capacity of the terminal, he revealed that, “for now we can do over 50, 000 boxes within a week.We have invested a lot for the purpose of improving our economy because the essence of this terminal is also to improve the export trade and to reduce the imbalance in the import-export gap in the country.”