Port Congestion: NPA Goes Tough on Shipping Companies

Managing Director, Nigeria Ports Authourity (NPA), Mallam Abdusallam Mohammed has given a “no vessel substitution” order to all owners of tankers in bold move to address ongoing port congestion which is already affecting in-coming petroleum products-laden ships. 
Mohammed however expressed optimism that the current congestion that is being experienced by oil tankers in the Lagos Channel will soon ease if the directives given by NPA on the operation of such vessels are enforced.
The directives, according to him, include that of “No Vessel Substitution”, for any tanker vessel already on the queue to discharge any refine product and the directive on “performance parameter”, which stipulates the duration of time any carrying vessel shall spend at the port.
The managing director told visiting members of the House of Representatives committee on marine transport that since the directives were given, the congestion by tanker vessels has been reduced.
On why the directives were introduced, Malam Abdul Salam explained that
“We introduced the policy of “No Vessel Substitution” because we suspected that some companies were reserving space in the queue with none product carrying vessels and the moment they have another vessel carrying cargo they will ask for substitution, so we came up with that policy”.
“We are currently working on a performance parameter which will guide the Authority in terms of the duration of time a particular vessel should stay at the port.  What informed this also was the suspicious we have that some companies were using empty vessels to block their competitors from coming in.  The directive will essentially allow us to kick out vessels that stay longer than necessary in the port”, he explained”
On the congestion being experienced on the container vessels also in the Lagos Channel, the Managing Director attributed the situation to the unprecedented upsurge in the container traffic, which arrived into the country through the channel this year, certain technical hitches experienced in the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports which resulted in lost of some operational time and the peak or import activities usually experienced at this period of the year.
“As you are aware, the issue of congestion has traditionally been a Lagos Channel issue.  The reasons are obvious – most of the cargoes coming to Nigeria – almost 70 percent comes through the Lagos Port.  Most of our importers like to bring their cargoes through the Lagos Ports and you cannot compel an importer to go to some other areas different from their intended locations.  Besides, to do so will have its economic and legal implication” he said.