We’ll make our seaports world class – NPA boss

Mr Mohammed Bello-Koko, Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), said the Authority would apply international standards and best practices in handling ships and cargoes at the country’s seaports.

He said this in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos signed by Mr Olaseni Alakija, General Manager, Corporate & Strategic Communications, NPA.

Bello-Koko made the remark while addressing members of the Senate Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation led by Senator Theodore Orji, on a oversight visit to the NPA.

According to Bello-Koko, the Authority has created an enabling environment for a well-structured inter-modal system for seamless connectivity of the waterways, rail and road transportation.

This, he said, would foster improved service delivery as well as increase the country’s revenue.

He noted that the various reforms introduced by the Federal Government had a positive impact on productivity at the ports.

He said the dividends were evident in the areas of reduced cargo dwelling time, improvement in cargo throughput, ship turn-around time and drastic reduction in security incidents within and around the ports.

“There is need for better synergy with Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other agencies of government involved in the examination and clearance of cargo, to drive efficiency in Port operations,” he said.

While expressing the appreciation of the Authority to the lawmakers for their visit, Bello-Koko assured that the NPA would work tirelessly to ensure the sustenance of service excellence across the nations ports.

He solicited the intervention of the Committee on efforts to end the perennial traffic gridlock plaguing vehicular activities along the port access roads.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Theodore Orji stated that the Committee would collaborate with the management of the NPA with the view to resolve all bottlenecks at the ports.