The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Mallam Habib Abdullahi said yesterday that NPA under his watch has achieved success in making the ports more user-friendly, improved vessel turn-around time, reduced cargo dwell time and ensured security of ships at berth as well as safety of the channels.
The managing director stated this while presenting his management’s two years scorecard, where he also officially launched the Electronic Ship Entry Notice (e-SEN) in Lagos.
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Mallam Habib Abdullahi said yesterday that NPA under his watch has achieved success in making the ports more user-friendly, improved vessel turn-around time, reduced cargo dwell time and ensured security of ships at berth as well as safety of the channels.
The managing director stated this while presenting his management’s two years scorecard, where he also officially launched the Electronic Ship Entry Notice (e-SEN) in Lagos.
He said that its latest innovation; e-SEN will further eliminate delay in cargo dwell time and improve turn-around time of vessels.
According to him, in the past two years, most of the ports have recorded increases in Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) due to capital and maintenance dredging of the channels which has translated into increase in cargo throughput from 44,953,073MT in 2005 to 77million MT in 2013.
Abdullahi also said that NPA management has also enhanced productivity of 3, 091 personnel out of its total 4,245 workforce at both local and international trainings, he added that 321 personnel who have served the organization for 30 to 34 years have also been rewarded with long service awards.
"The biggest vessel to call at any port in West Africa (WAFMAX) with a length of 232.33 metres and capacity of 4, 500 TEUS requiring 13.5 meters has started visiting our ports due to our consistent dredging campaign, the weekly call of WAFMAX vessels to Lagos and Onne port is a great achievement" he said.
Speaking on the new e-SEN innovation, the NPA boss noted that ship entry notices hitherto were done manually, a process which according to him, was characterised by various challenges.
"Stakeholders purchased booklets of application forms, filled a leaflet and submit manually to the designated SEN offices located in either the western ports or eastern ports head offices depending on the port of call, this process is full of challenges like duplication, delayed verification and validation of ship data among others"
Also expatiating on the e-SEN, Executive Director, Finance and Administration of NPA, Mr. Olumide Oduntan said that the platform has been integrated with Lloyds Ship Register, even as he said that names of ships expected at the ports (shipping position) will be displayed live on the platform.
He revealed that NPA management is set to embark on a form of training for staff and stakeholder that will make use of the e-SEN platform. Already, he said that 30 staff have been trained on the new platform.
Responding on behalf of the shipping companies, Chairman of Shipping Association of Nigeria (SAN); Mr. Val Usifo commended the NPA management for the e-SEN, describing it as a quantum leap.
Usifo noted that manual ship entry notice had over the years given operators a lot of challenges, adding that it has led to a waste of time and money.
"There used to be a lot of complaints in obtaining SEN, but this new process has eliminated all of them totally, it saves a lot of time and money, gone were those days that we find it difficult to obtain SEN" Usifo stated.
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