As a result of what it described as the terribly bad state of technologies at Nigerian ports, the Shipping Association of Nigeria (SAN) has advised that the implementation of the Single Window technology is the only answer to most of the problems being experienced in the port.
Chairman of the association, Mr. Val Usifoh made this statement yesterday when he led members of the association on a courtesy visit to the headquarters of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in Lagos.
As a result of what it described as the terribly bad state of technologies at Nigerian ports, the Shipping Association of Nigeria (SAN) has advised that the implementation of the Single Window technology is the only answer to most of the problems being experienced in the port.
Chairman of the association, Mr. Val Usifoh made this statement yesterday when he led members of the association on a courtesy visit to the headquarters of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in Lagos.
Usifoh argued that a good technology platform is the answer to the high port charges, even as he stressed that collaboration with the Shippers’ Council and the NPA is key to the successful implementation of the Single window system.
"The port is still in the analogue age even though the council in conjunction with NPA had in the past developed an electronic platform where stakeholders will cue in and reduce the time wasting in the port process", he pointed out.
Stressing further, Usifoh said, "we have been invited into one or two sessions where customs have now decided to spearhead the single window platform, it is left for government in their wisdom to decide who will implement it, we know what this Council and NPA did in the past, synergy, collaboration is what we need"
He further lamented that freight forwarders are currently lagging behind and that the single window is what will further update them. He said that there are too many people in the freight forwarding system, and that some of them are fraudulent and they give shippers a lot of trouble.
"They call themselves freight forwarders now but they are clearing agents, many of them go to cyber cafes and even in these cyber cafes, we know the customs have problems and recently the CGC arrested some people involved in cyber crimes".
According to him, the only solution to high port charges is reduction in cargo dwell time from 25days to seven days, "if you can do this, cost will come down by 75percent, cost are associated with delays and processes that are archaic", he stated.
Usifoh also appealed to the Shippers’ Council to resolve the ongoing crisis currently rocking the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) in order to ensure regulation of the freight forwarding sector.
"This council worked so hard to give birth to the CRFFN, that baby is currently suffering serious internal hemorrhage, I now appeal that you should not allow that baby to die, if there is any way you can bring the warring parties together, because there is need for regulation and standardisation" he said.
Responding, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Shippers Council, Barrister Hassan Bello reiterated to the association the need for reduction in shipping charges.
"The cost element of shipping is of great concern to us, with the port reforms, cost is one of the things we thought will come down crashing, but this has not happened"
Bello said that continuous engagement between the council and the shippers is essential and that the council is desirous of the cost of shipping coming down to 70percent.
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