Cargo dwell time records 70% drop to 3 days – Haastrup

Cargo dwell time in Nigeria’s seaports has improved by 70 percent as it dropped from 10 days to three, Vicky Haastrup, chairman, Seaport Terminals Operators of Nigeria (STOAN), said.

The STOAN chairman, who doubles as the executive vice chairman of ENL Consortium Limited, in a statement issued in Lagos recently, said the concession of cargo handling operations at the nation’s seaports had brought tremendous benefits to the Nigerian economy and saved the port system from collapse.

“Nigerian port system has improved tremendously from what it used to be such that the dwell time of ship has reduced drastically. That shows the efficient nature of the ports. These are the benefit of port concession. In fact, when Nigerian ports were concessioned, it was a big blow to the ports of neighbouring countries, a big loss. I have always referred to it,” she said.

Continuing: “When you bring in your ship, we can discharge your vessel very quickly. Dwell time for vessel has reduced from 10 days to three days. That in essence is a reduction in cost. To us, that is efficiency and reduction in cost.”

While condemning a situation where people singled out terminal operators for undue criticisms, she said people were complaining about rent imposed on containers and other types of cargo without knowing that cost in Nigeria was very cheap in terms of cargo rent in the port compared with other ports in the world.

According to her, there are other things that also contribute to increase in cost people are not looking at but only concentrating on terminal operators. These people also need to look at other aspects of port operations, especially the factors delaying cargo clearance at the port, and this is why STOAN is in court to challenge the powers of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to serve as regulator, she said.

UZOAMAKA ANAGOR