Infrastructural decay,security concerns remain biggest setback to 24-hr port operation

Infrastructure decay, especially the deplorable port access roads and security concerns have been identified as the greatest challenge facing 24-hour port operations.

BusinessDay understands that the bad state of the roads has made it near-impossible for port operators and security agencies involved in cargo clearance at ports to report early to their offices, and for cargo owners to take delivery of their consignments, due to difficulties in moving cargoes in and out of the ports.

The Executive Order on Ease of Doing Business at the ports, signed in May 2017 by the then Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, mandated Customs, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), service providers and other government agencies to work 24-hours round-the-clock in order to facilitate ease and faster cargo clearance at the ports.

According to the Vice President’s directive, 24-hour port operation was aimed at eliminating the negative effects which non-clearance of goods on weekends and public holidays has on cost of doing business at ports.

Musa Baba Abdulahi, Area Controller of Tin-Can Island Port Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), confirmed that the poor implementation of the Federal Government Executive Order on 24-hour operation at the ports in Lagos was due to the dilapidated infrastructure around the ports.

Abdulahi, who told BusinessDay that the command had since commenced round-the-clock operation at the port, also listed security concern around the port environment, bad state of the road and lack of power supply among the challenges hindering the effective implementation of 24-hour port operations.

“We operate 24 hours. Our officers work on Saturday and Sunday but there is this issue of infrastructure too, because trade facilitation is not about Customs procedure alone. For example, what has Customs got to do with lighting of the port? If we ask an agent to come to the port at nights to take delivery of his or her cargo, when there is no electricity, what do we do?” he questioned.

He pointed out that challenges around 24-hour port operation were beyond Customs but the impression has been that whatever has to do with the port is Customs responsibility.

In area of cargo examination, he said that Customs does not do physical examination alone but in collaboration with other government agencies and most times Customs may be ready but others may not be.

“Once the agent submits his declaration, it assesses automatically and the duty payable is there. The next thing is selectivity either for physical examination or for scanning. If, it is for physical examination, it would be scheduled, all other agencies are supposed to be part of the examination and as soon as that is done, the cargo would be released.

Confirming this, Musa Jubrin, Customs Area Controller of the Apapa Area command, said that the command in line with the Executive Order on 24 hours port operation, operates round-the-clock.

He however noted that one of the challenges the command is faced with is the poor state of the port access road which has made movement of goods in and out of the port difficult for port users.

“We operate round-the-clock. If, anybody wants to take his consignment at nights, he or she can come but the roads are so terrible and most importers do not want to take their goods through this kind of road in the night for security reasons. So, people are careful and they always avoid nights,” he added.

“We hope that when the road is finally done activities will pick up and there will be faster movement of delivery of consignments in and out of the port,” he said.

Reacting to this, Tony Anakebe, managing director of Gold-Link Investment Limited, a Lagos based clearing and forwarding company, said that 24-hour port operations is a good policy that will not be feasible under the current conditions of port infrastructure.

Anakebe said the Lagos seaports (Apapa and Tin-Can Island Ports) that handle over 85 percent of cargoes that come to Nigeria are currently inaccessible due to bad state of the roads leading to the port.

“The ports cannot operate under such condition because of the high risk of moving good in and out of the port,” he added.

Anakebe, who observed that lack of adequate security infrastructure and limited power supply were the challenges of 24-hour port operation, said that Customs still resume cargo examination in the morning and close in the evening.

“The ports open on weekends (Saturday and Sunday) and Customs also conduct examination on Saturdays unlike before. Also, discharging of vessels by terminal operators and shipping companies, still take place at night,” Anakebe added.