Apapa Port Is The Worst Port City In The World---NAGAFF President

Coming on the heels of traffic gridlock around the port in Lagos, the National President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF); Chief Eugene Nweke has lampooned the Nigerian Ports Authority for failing to put in place a comprehensive Port Development Plan before concessioning the ports.

Eugene in a chat with Shipping Position Daily correspondent in Lagos last week however described Apapa port as the worst port city in the whole world.

He said that perennial current traffic congestion on the Apapa-Oshodi expressway and the Funsho Williams Avenue has made the nations' ports inaccessible for operators. Terminal operators and shipping companies according to him, are currently taking advantage of the situation and smiling to the bank at the expense of Nigerian shippers.

Eugene however warned that current situation might eventually lead to an increase in freight rates by international shipping lines, saying that currently, it takes an average of four days for a truck to access the ports to pick cargoes and discharge empty containers.

"Apapa port is the worst port city in the world as at today, one of the considerations for surcharge by the shipping lines is when port infrastructures have collapsed, to their own calculation, if port access roads are thoroughfare, that means the turnaround time of moving cargoes in and out of the port will be even".

"But if it is not, and it is taking three to four days for a truck to gain access into the ports to discharge empty containers or to go and pick up cargo, then in their own calculation there is a problem, this might warrant the shipping line’s to increase freight rates" he said.

The NAGAFF President also revealed that the congestion has also drastically affected the rate at which cargoes are examined at the port by officers of the Nigeria customs service.

Nweke said that in the port system today, by 12 to 1 pm, customs officers that are supposed to release cargoes from the port have not gained access to the port because they are held up in the traffic, and the time for cargo clearance to take place is already being lost in the traffic

"When the officer now come in by 1pm, by 2pm he is already considering how to go back, some of them end up making a U-turn in the traffic to go back home, who suffers for this? – the Nigerian shipper, who smiles to the bank? – the terminal and shipping lines who collect storage and demurrage charges?"

He said that had there been a National Transport Policy Plan in place, maritime stakeholders will not be experiencing most of the challenges they found themselves today.

"NPA should have put in place a national port development plan before concessioning the ports, it only took the good mind of President Goodluck Jonathan to appoint a regulator".

Eugene argued that it is the duty of the Federal Government to construct the roads leading into the ports and not the Lagos State Government.

According to him, the Lagos State Government's duty is to put in place traffic control system in order to add value to the road system by ensuring that the trucks plying the roads are road worthy.