Two concessionaires within the Tin Can Island Port Complex have been given five years extension each of their concession period. The two terminals are Ports and Cargo Terminals extended from 10 to 15 years and Tin Can Island Container Terminal (TICT) from 15 to 20 years.
Port manager of Tin Can Island Port Complex, Mr Ephraim Efioita disclosed this yesterday in Lagos during a port facility tour by the managing director of NPA, Habib Abdullahi. But he did not explain if Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) was part of the agreement to grant the extension.
Two concessionaires within the Tin Can Island Port Complex have been given five years extension each of their concession period. The two terminals are Ports and Cargo Terminals extended from 10 to 15 years and Tin Can Island Container Terminal (TICT) from 15 to 20 years.
Port manager of Tin Can Island Port Complex, Mr Ephraim Efioita disclosed this yesterday in Lagos during a port facility tour by the managing director of NPA, Habib Abdullahi. But he did not explain if Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) was part of the agreement to grant the extension.
The terminals were concessioned to private operators in May 2006 during the federal government’s port reform programme.
The port has five terminal operators. At the inset of the concession agreement, TICT won concession bid for terminal B for a period of 15 years, while Port and Cargo Handling Services terminal got Terminal C for a period of 10 years.
According to Efioita, the extension was given after an agreement was reached with the concessionaires over portions of the concessioned areas that NPA was still occupying, which were supposed to be occupied by the concessionaires in line with the concession agreement.
“TICT was extended from 15 to 20 years, while Port and Cargo was extended from 10 to 15 years,” said Efioita, noting that, “at the time the concession was conceived, there are certain portions that are presently occupied by NPA that were actually meant to be given to concessionaires.”
The portion housing the Tin Can Island Port of NPA and adjoining areas were actually concessioned to Port and Cargo Terminal and because the area was taken by the authority, Efioita said, “We had to sit down with the concessionaires to arrive at certain agreements. That was what brought about the extension. That was one of the reasons.”
As for TICT, it was a similar situation. Efioita said, “There were certain areas that would have gone to TICT at the end of the concession which were not given.
Meanwhile, managing director of NPA, Habib Abdullahi has commended concessionaires for the improvements in the ports since the concession in 2006, saying that they have fulfilled some of the agreement they signed with the Federal Government before the ports were concessioned to them.
The NPA boss who visited Apapa and Tin-Can Ports on Wednesday and yesterday, gave kudos to the concessionaires over their level of investment at the ports.
The terminal operators, he said, have invested several billions of naira to boost cargo clearance at the port.
Habib, who was accompanied by his Executive Directors and top management team of NPA, said he was happy that the terminal operators have developed the ports to an enviable height.
The obviously satisfied managing director told journalists; “I told you people yesterday, that I am happy with the level of development at the port. The ports were not as good as this before they were concessioned by the Federal Government about six years ago. Today, we can all see that the terminal operators are performing wonderfully in our ports in terms of equipment and the necessary infrastructure to assist ship traffic to the country,” he said.
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