The Acting Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello Koko has assured managers of the Lekki Deep Sea Port (LDSP) project that the agency would ensure all relevant materials and support are readily made available towards ensuring it’s take off in the second quarter of 2022 as planned.
Bello-Koko said that the take-off of the much-awaited port is in line with the earlier mandate set by its regulators with a view to easing the present pressure faced at the Tincan and Apapa Port axis.
The NPA helmsman spoke when he received a delegation of the Lekki Port Terminal Executives led by Mr. Denrice Moos at his office in Lagos.
According to Bello-Koko, the NPA Management is looking forward to seeing commencement of operations at the Lekki Port which would in turn relieve current pressure in Apapa ports, even as he added that plans are underway to expand and embark on major repair works at the Apapa and Tincan Island Ports.
He told the LDSP delegation that: “We are eager that Lekki Port starts operation. We believe once it becomes operational, the pressure at Tin Can and Apapa would be reduced.”
The acting MD further affirmed that the coming into operation of the Lekki Port is a positive development in view of the fact that importers would have options by way of alternate port to discharge their cargo, noting that discussions are on-going with the Federal Ministry of Transportation and Terminal Operators.
Speaking on infrastructural provision, the Acting Managing Director urged officials from the Deep Sea Port Terminal to ensure they collaborate with relevant agencies of Government in fixing the roads leading to the port, just as he explained that the NPA Management was already deploying its personnel to assist in the area of human capacity development.
He cautioned that operational activities geared towards improved service delivery would be hampered if the present state of the road is not upgraded, even as he said the NPA is working towards the possibility of getting a rail line to aid operations of the new port as quickly as possible.
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According to him, “Management is tirelessly working in making sure that the quality of badges for its operations is top notch.”
“Management had since started with the liberalisation of badges on our waters which have since been scrutinized under the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and the Minimum Safety Standard ( MSS).”
Furthermore, he reiterated that, “management would ensure a higher quality of badges just as it is almost at the verge of the receipt of Tug boats and other operational tools for improved service delivery. This is against the backdrop of the observations made by the visiting team on data for the badges.”
On his part, leader of the team, Mr. Denrice Moos said the visit to the NPA Management afforded the company the opportunity to interact on areas bordering on status updates and construction work at Lekki, and also seek for ways of assisting it by way of partnership in eradicating bottlenecks in operations.
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