APMT’s inefficiency causes gridlock on Lagos Port roads —importers.

Segun Oladipupo

Nigerian Shippers have accused AP Moller Terminal (APMT) of inefficient services delivery which they claimed is fuelling the malignant gridlock on the Lagos Port access roads.

At a recent meeting organised by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) in Lagos to find a lasting solution to the menace of gridlock on the corridors, the visibly angry group lampooned the management of the terminal over its inefficient operations that led to congestions in the terminal and in the roads.

Mr. Femi Olawore, speaking on behalf of Nigerian shippers at the event said that APMT had over 12,000 unutilised Terminal Delivery Orders (TDOs) towards the end of December, 2019.

The fish importer said that the unutilised TDOs were due to inefficient service provision and lack of manpower by the terminal.

He wondered how such number of TDOs could be dispensed with within a short period of time.

Olawore added that activities rarely take place in the terminal due to inadequate manpower at the terminal saying it often leads to congestion in the terminal which in turn have a spiral effect on port roads.

His words, “My own proposal to this issue is very simple. First, we have many terminal operators within Apapa. We have APMT, we have Bulk terminal, Eko Support, GDNL.

“Now, APMT alone controls about 70 percent of the cargoes that go into that port.

“If you go to APMT as we speak now, it is almost like a ghost yard and you will wonder if there is any operation going on in this terminal.

“As at December, I had it on good authority that APMT had about twelve thousand TDOs that have been written and not loaded.

“Immediately you write TDO, it means you are ready to take delivery of your cargo and leave the port.

“How will they be able to deliver the TDOs in two to three days or one week. The importers are made to pay demurrage.0

“APMT is lacking manpower. What I want you to help address is the modus operandi and how the terminal operators carry out their operations,” he lamented