NPA, PEBEC MOVE TO IMPROVE PORT EFFICIENCY, EASE OF DOING BUSINESS

Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, flanked by the Director-General, Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Princess Zahrah Audu (right), and Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs CK Niagwan (left), during the inauguration of the Ports and Customs Efficiency Committee by PEBEC in Lagos

The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) have launched the Ports and Customs Efficiency Committee (PCEC) to improve efficiency at the nation’s ports, as well as the ease of doing business. Speaking at the PCEC inaugural meeting in Lagos Thursday, the PEBEC Director-General, Zahrah Audu, said that improving efficiencies at the nation’s seaports would reduce cargo dwell time, vessel turnaround and turnover for customers. She stated that the committee was launched to change the narrative of missed opportunities in the maritime sector, unlock potential opportunities and enhancing Nigeria’s economy. According to her, “by improving efficiencies in our ports, we can drastically reduce the average cargo dwell time and turnover time for customers, eliminate duplication of documentation and manual processes, and ensure customers’ satisfaction.” Audu explained that the committee, which comprises government and a lot of private sector stakeholders, is not just another reform but “about resilience, unlocking potential opportunities, and enhancing Nigeria’s economy.” Concerning the aim, she said it is a call to action for terminal operators to improve infrastructure and for shipping companies to increase efficiency so as to reduce delays. More so, it is for freight forwarders to uphold compliance, and for regulators to reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks; and a call for shared ownership of the nation’s shared problem and a commitment to deliver a shared solution, she added. Speaking on missed opportunities, Audu noted that the PCEC was established to go beyond identifying the problems already known and begin implementing the solutions that are long overdue. “Nigeria loses a lot every single day due to some of our inefficiencies,” she noted. “These are not just numbers; these are missed opportunities. They represent jobs not created, goods not delivered, investments not realised, and economic growth that is unnecessarily delayed. “At PEBEC, our mandate has been very clear – to remove bureaucratic bottlenecks that will allow people do business at Nigerian seaports. Beyond passing or helping pass reforms or policies, it’s time for us to focus on implementation and practical output of what these reforms can translate into. This is why this committee is important to us.” Audu further explained that the PCEC role is action-oriented and high-impact, charged with driving sustainable improvement in service delivery at the Nigerian ports, working hand-in-hand with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Nigeria Customs Services (NCS), among other government agencies within the ports. Others include technical operators, shipping companies, freight haulers, logistic providers, exporters, manufacturers and policymakers, as a reform ecosystem that accommodates everyone, Audu said. Earlier, the NPA Managing Director, Abubakar Dantsoho, said the agency was currently addressing four major pillars critical to repositioning the seaports to compete effectively with regional counterparts. He listed investment in infrastructure, equipment, technology, and human capacity as such pillars to improve competitiveness and operational efficiency of the nation’s seaports. Dantsoho noted that port infrastructure, particularly in Apapa and Tin Can Island ports, is aged and in dire need of rehabilitation, adding that “Tin Can was constructed about 48 years ago and Apapa almost 100 years ago, yet no major rehabilitation has taken place all these years.” However, he stated that government’s recent approval for the reconstruction of both ports would significantly improve berth depth and cargo handling capacity. On the technological front, Dantsoho said the agency was working closely with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to deploy the Port Community System (PCS), which he described as the backbone for the National Single Window. He stressed that PCS will eliminate paperwork and reduce human interface, thereby improving transparency, reducing cost, and boosting efficiency and revenue generation. In terms of human capital, Dantsoho said the NPA was intensifying efforts to upgrade the skills of pilots and technical personnel to meet modern navigational and operational demands. He reiterated the importance of inter-agency collaboration across all operational areas. Noting, however, that NPA cannot do it alone, he stated that “efficiency must cut across all segments if we are to truly optimise revenue and compete globally.”