NPA CONVENES A CRUCIAL MEETING TO DISCUSS PORT CHALLENGES AND CHART A WAY FORWARD
13-06-25
By Sadiq Aminu In a bid to ensure smooth port operations, free from every encumbrance ranging from blames and counter blames by both the Shipping Lines and Terminal Operators at the Apapa port, resulting in accumulation of hundreds of empty containers littering the port, the Management of the Nigerian Ports Authority NPA, has convened a crucial meeting to discuss that and other challenges and chart a way forward.
The General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communication of the NPA, Mr Ikechukwu Onyemakara disclosed this to newsmen in Lagos.
He noted that all Shipping Lines present at the meeting, submitted that, they had their holding bays as a prerequisite for licence renewal by the NPA.
They also posited that the Management of the NPA usually inspected those holding bays to ascertain their capacity before their license renewal.
On the Terminal’s capacity, at the APM Terminal, Mr Onyemakara quoted the Shipping Lines as arguing that, the Management of APM Terminal, should usually communicates available free pools for containers , to each Shipping Line, in order to guide in their containers movement.
The General Manager stated that the Shipping Lines also blamed the significant congestion during the period under review, on the simultaneous gate closure, to all the Shipping Lines by the Management of the APM Terminal.
He noted that the APM Terminal Management had insisted that, the Terminal must reach its full capacity due to increased imports and exports volumes, arguing that, there was a notable delay in evacuation of both imports and exports containers by the Shipping Lines hence the congestion.
Speaking on the resolutions reached at the meeting, Mr Onyemakara observed that, APM Terminal should regularly communicate stocks level ( available spaces) to the Shipping Lines, so as to improve on their planning and coordination.
Contributing, the Apapa Port Manager, Mr Adebowale Lawal stressed the urgent need for enhanced cooperation and coordination amongst the Terminal Operators, the Shipping Lines as well as the Ports Management, in addressing growing challenges relating to congestion, especially due to the accumulation of empty containers at the ports.