The Nigerian Ports Consultative Council (NPCC) has held talks with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), on the need for collaboration in a new strategic plan for growth in the port sub-sector.
In a meeting on Wednesday at the NPA’s headquarters office on Marina, Lagos, the NPCC Chairman, Mr. Bolaji Sunmola, shared with the General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Planning, Mr. Seyi Iyawe, how the NPCC provides solutions impacting the Nigerian port sector for optimal competitiveness within the West and Central Africa Sub-region.
Sunmola told his host that while the day’s visit focused on discussing collaboration and modalities for the NPA’s projected increase in revenue by 30 per cent in five years’ time, the NPCC has worked in same line supporting growth of the ports through different initiatives.
His words “About 15 years ago, we saw the need and made our report on the necessity for deep seaports for high cargo vessels, and we have seen the results today. We also took up the challenge of the National Single Window discussion many years ago.
“We were surprised to know that Ghana had started operating it for some good number of years. Today, it has gained visibility for important consideration in our port system. So, we considered it important and necessary to have this engagement for collaboration purposes as you look at a 30 per cent growth in the next five years.”
The NPCC chairman extolled the Managing Director of the NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, for immediately touring the ports when he was newly appointed, to ascertain first-hand, the conditions of ports infrastructure.
“It was very encouraging to note that the first thing that the MD did when he assumed office was to tour the ports for on- the- spot assessment to ascertain their states and noted the need to revamp facilities and improve services where needed,” he said.
Speaking further on the NPCC’s key roles of stakeholder engagement, advocacy and policy support as well as capacity building, Sunmola said the Council would monitor progress of the new processes toward the achievement of the NPA’s projected 30 per cent growth.
“For the NPCC collaborative role and within the master tracking and reporting framework, the purpose would be to monitor progress toward the 30% growth target, and provide transparency and accountability.
“The scoring would be done on all Nigerian ports, terminals, concessionaires and export facilitation agencies. Importantly, the key elements are standardized KPIs, consistent data collection and validation, and regular reporting cycles,” he said.
Mr. Sunmola wants the NPA to focus on revenue drive in the oil and gas operations, which depend on the services given by the NPA.
Earlier in his presentation, Mr. Iyawe told the NPCC chairman and his team that the NPA was reviewing a number of its operational processes as well as engaging stakeholders for fresh perspectives in its new strategic planning to achieve long-term results.
His words: “We are re-engineering our processes and we have put in a lot of man-hour to create a structure to support the processes for the 30 per cent trade volume growth. We are actually doing a lot to exceed that 30 per cent.
“If we do the needful, including stakeholder engagement, we will get it right. Right now, we are reviewing all the KPIs; like, what is the dwell-time of the different types of cargo? We are talking with the Nigeria Customs and the Port Community System is being developed.
“On the expectations of the National Single Window, what will support it internally is being put in place. Our processes are being reviewed with consideration to the projected 30 per cent growth in trade volumes by 2030. It is the first time we are putting a strategic plan in place with five-years projection. We are also looking at improving processes to back digital trade and African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and what NPA’s role should be.”
Iyawe added that the reviews being done now aim at identifying new business opportunities for the NPA; like the deep seaports.
With plans for a central data and regulatory framework, Iyawe said that the new strategic plan would be the game-changer.
“We are working on a document that would show the strategic plan and show the master plan. This will take care of all development NPA is doing. This will help to x-ray whatever challenges that may be faced. We will collaborate with sister agencies like NIMASA, Shippers’ Council and the Customs Service too.”
In her contributions, the NPCC Vice Chairperson, Mrs. Jean Chiazor Anishere, SAN, urged the NPA to consider having focal points in the ports, who can work with the NPCC for information, when it becomes important.
Also making contributions, Captain Iheanacho Ebubeogu, who heads the Port Operations and Logistics Committee, said the NPCC collaboration with the NPA would be for proper data capturing on the contributions of the port sector to the nation’s economic growth.
