Story by Dili Utomi.
The recent improvement in the management of traffic matters along the Apapa Port corridors which has consequently improved economic activities around the Port areas is commendable and the sustainability of this level of sanity around the corridor is the desire of most Port users.
It is in the light of this desire and the wish for the replication of the efforts that brought this level of sanity that has propelled members of the Fact Finding Committee on Traffic Matters, an adhoc committee of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) on Wednesday to visit the Apapa Port Manager of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Mr Charles Okaga and his team.
The Committee which is lead by Dr. Arthur Igwilo and had Chief Patrick Ogboo as a member had very useful discussion with the Apapa Port Manager and members of his management team. The meeting which lasted for over an hour dwelt very much on sustaining the current level of free flow of traffic and the improvement on certain aspects of services to ultimately improve on efficiency.
Dr. Igwilo started by pointing out the fact that the traffic issues became so terribly bad towards the last quarter of 2023, but noted that the improvement came in towards the end of December as he praised the efforts of the NPA team. The Port Manager in his reply said that he and his team always require the cooperation of the stakeholders especially with facts and figures that would aid them in carrying out their duties.
He says that the export of goods has increased and that the Port was built when the population of Lagos was about five million persons with emphasis then on loose and palletised goods, but that the facilities have become rather inadequate as it is now. He noted that as at Tuesday, about 122 trucks entered the Port largely due to the coordinated efforts of the staff of NPA.
The Port Manager advises truck owners to stop the illegal acts of ticket racketeering, the exchange of plate numbers and the transfer of tickets from one truck to the other. Mr. Okaga says that truckers now have three days (72 hours) grace to use their tickets to access the Port from the the pre-gates after which the ticket expires. He added that currently when a truck is matched to a park, the truck has 21 days to get their businesses and then assess the port after getting their tickets from the various pre-gates, but that many of the truckers would not want to conform with the laid down procedures.
On the issue of the performance or lack of it of the Trucks Transit Parks Limited which operates the electronic call up system on behalf of the NPA and the call for the cancellation of their contract, the PM said that the worse of the TTP is much better than what we used to have before they came in. Mr. Okaga warns that the 21 days grace will soon be reduced to 14 days in order to increase efficiency.
The PM also noted that continuous stakeholders engagement will contribute to the sustaining of the level of performance now, he suggests that the police, traffic controllers, importers/exporters and all stakeholders should be included in the programmes that would aid the sustainability of this level of performance.
The Apapa Port of the NPA currently has about 18,000 registered trucks in its record using the Port and has the capacity to process over 3000 trucks on daily basis. The record of the previous day showed that the AP Moller Terminal alone processed about 700 trucks which consists of trucks carrying empty containers, flat bed trucks going in to pick up imported containerised goods and also export bound containers-carrying trucks. Mr. Okaga also clarified the fact that the large cargo owners have dedicated lanes and that that is what makes it look like they are being favoured in gaining freer access into the Port.
He quipped in that the menace of street urchins also known as area boys is being tackled with the collaboration of truck owners and law enforcement agents.
The PM promised that by mid-February, an electronic tag system (E-Tag) which uses the Electronic Call-up Interchange Transaction Number (EITN) is going to be introduced to make the operation even more efficient and with the cargo movements made easier.
Mrs. Olushile of the SERVICOM who is a member of the NPA team says that any kind of illegality or attempt at sabotaging the system can be reported to them through their hotlines and promised that any matter brought to them is usually promptly addressed.
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