21 November 2008
The Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Malam Abdul Salam Mohammed has expressed strong optimism that the current congestion being experienced by oil tankers in the Lagos Channel will soon ease if the directives given by the Authority on the operation of such vessels are enforced.
The directive, according to the Managing Director include that of "No Vessel Substitution," for any tanker vessel already on the queue to discharge any refined product and the directive on "performance parameter," which stipulates the duration of time any carrying vessel shall spend at the port.
The Managing Director, who was speaking while exchanging view with members of the reconstituted House Committee on Marine transport in Lagos on Monday said since the two directives were given the congestion for such tanker vessels has been reduced.
Musa Iliya, an Assistant Manager Public Affairs, NPA stated this in a press release.
On why the directive was introduced, Malam Abdul Salam explained that, "We introduced the policy of "No Vessel Substitution" because we suspected that some companies were reserving space in the queue with none product carrying vessels and the moment they have another vessel carrying cargo they will ask for substitution. So we came up with that policy.
"We are currently working on a performance parameter which will guide the Authority in terms of the duration of time a particular vessel should stay at the port. What informed this also was the suspicious we have that some companies were using empty vessels to block their competitors from coming in. The directive will essentially allow us to kick out vessels that stay longer than necessary in the port," he explained.
On the congestion being experienced on the container vessels also in the Lagos Channel, the Managing Director attributed the situation to the unprecedented upsurge in the container traffic, which arrived into the country through the channel this year, certain technical hitches experienced in the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports which resulted in lost of some operational time and the peak or import activities usually experienced at this period of the year.
"As you are aware, the issue of congestion has traditionally been a Lagos Channel issue. The reasons are obvious - most of the cargoes coming to Nigeria - almost 70 percent come through the Lagos Port. Most of our importers like to bring their cargoes through the Lagos Ports and you cannot compel an importer to go to some other areas different from their intended locations. Besides, to do so will have its economic and legal implication," he said.
He explained that "In addition to that, the issue of congestion is also essentially peculiar to certain cargo type mostly relating to containerised cargo. So when we speak of congestion, you will see that the vessels are mostly vessels carrying containers," adding that, "there is, however, a recent phenomenon, whereby tankers carrying refined products especially PMS, AGO and other related products are also experiencing delay in the discharging of their cargoes."
The Managing Director told the committee members that one of the major challenges of the Authority currently was how to improve its internally generated revenue so as to enable the Authority meet its obligations to the stakeholders and port users through the provision of necessary working equipment, infrastructure and the creation of conducive working environment for the employees in all port locations.
While assuring that the Authority remain committed to changing the fortune of the ports in the country, Malam Abdul Salam reiterated that in its determination to be the leading ports in Africa, the nation's ports "are striving to serve their consumers efficiently and at least cost."
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