Insecurity on Nigerian waters, failed rail system key causes of Apapa gridlocks—-NPA
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman has opened up on the reasons behind the singular use of roads to evacuate containers to and fro the Lagos ports.
Speaking Thursday in Lagos during the 5th edition of the Women in Logistics and Transport (WILAT) International Conference held at the Oriental Hotel, Lagos with the theme; ‘Effective And Efficient Logistics And Transport As Key Components Of Successful Organisation And Business’.
Bala Usman in a paper with the theme ‘Government directives on Ease Of Doing Business in the Port: Its Challenges And Sustainability,’ noted that there are challenges faced in the sub-sector in the area of security on the Nigerian waters, slow evacuation of Cargo out of the Terminals and poor Intermodal system plus the dilapidation of the rail lines in the Terminals.
However, she was quick to aver that the NPA Management is willing and ready to partner with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) as a sister agency of the Federal Government towards the realization of its policy on Ease of Doing Business.
According to her, the Federal Government would put in place machinery in the area of full implementation of the Executive Order in enabling and conducive environment, Customer Service Delivery to Stakeholders by way of Standard Operational Procedure (SOP) and transparency.
She stated that operational efficiency is pivotal to effective implementation and sustainability of the Executive Order of the Federal Government as its concerns the sub-sector.
Earlier in her welcome address, the convener of WILAT, Aisha Ali Ibrahim who doubles as Port Manager, Apapa Port Complex, eulogized the numerous contributions of members over the years towards the actualization of the vision of the International body. According to her “WILAT should strive at achieving its core values in the area of strategic employment and social responsibility”.
Ali Ibrahim further called greater synergy in its ongoing project in sponsoring and training women in the Middle East. Whilst promising to make sure that the body’s chapters increase appreciably from up to 19 having move up from 12 in 2013 to 18 in 2017.
The Managing Director, Hadiza Bala Usman was presented with an award of recognition and excellence by the Association (WILAT) for outstanding performance in office.
