Nicols’ thoughts on Port Concession Agreement 2006
By Jonathan Nicol
The Port Concession Agreement of 2006 is a failed document coupled with policy collapse.
The Concessioners know that they don’t have anyone to regulate them.
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) should have developed an enduring synergy with the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to form a formidable alignment to tackle the problems jointly.
Since the Ports are open to business and goods are being cleared, what is the rationale for demurrage waiver?
The Private businessmen are paying Bills to the Nigerian Ports Authority monthly. How will they break even if they lose revenue for no fault of theirs?
Shippers are deeply troubled because the policy somersault is enormous to the extent that NPA directives are ineffective and not binding on them.
The Federal Ministry of Transportation should wade into this quagmire and broker peace between the Nigerian Shippers’ Council on the one hand, the Nigerian Ports Authority and their Concessioners.
Assuming NPA was a terminal operator, we won’t have this problem.
Importers are the ones losing out. It must stop, so that shippers can conduct profitable businesses within our environment.
Importers are the ones losing out. It must stop, so that shippers can conduct profitable businesses within our environment.
The traffic leading to loss of man hour cannot be quantified. Who pays for all these?
It became uncontrollable when the Concession Agreement of 2006 failed.
We appeal passionately to the Federal Government to wade into the unpleasant rift between The Nigerian Ports Authority and The Nigerian Shippers’ Council, who is the Port Economic Regulator and the trading public to avert unprecedented law tussles due to huge losses.
If other Organisations are as active as the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, the problems in the Ports would be curtailed. But Organisations are only interested in revenue collection from the importer through the freight forwarders.
Rev. Jonathan Nicol is the President, Shippers Association of Lagos State.
