Clearing Agents Urge NPA to Begin Transfer of Overtime cargoes From Lagos Ports

Abiola Seun |

Clearing agents operating at the Ikorodu Lighter Terminal have urged the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to revive business at the Ikorodu Lighter terminal, through prompt transfer of overtime cargoes currently littering Lagos ports.

This appeal was made by the Chairman, National Association of government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Ikorodu Lighter Terminal, Obinna Okafor at a Stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos.

The association however urged NPA to ensure quick transfer of cargoes that are over 90 days as stipulated by law in order to help importers that still wish to clear their goods have access to them.

He noted that the Lagos ports were currently littered with overtime containers thereby making ease of doing business difficult at the port.

According to him, “We want to thank the leadership of NPA for granting us this opportunity. NAGAFF deemed it fit to commence the campaign of moving overtime cargo to Ikorodu lighter terminal with the support of NPA, knowing that this would benefit the government in terms of international trade sustainability, revenue drive and port decongestion”.

Okafor appealed to NPA to ensure that all overtime containers which the consignees were ready to take delivery of through their respective freight forwarders be expressly transferred to Ikorodu lighter terminal which is the only government warehouse.

In his words, “We know that without NPA’s support, Customs cannot move overtime cargoes. Also in our engagement with Customs, they made us understand that they don’t have facilities to move overtime cargoes from the ports.

“We will need the support of NPA in ensuring that overtime cargoes that had spent above the days specified by law be moved to Ikorodu lighter terminal Warehouse to keep Ikorodu port moving,” he said.

On his part, the Executive Director, Marine and Operations, Mr Sekonte Davies, said the agency is already working to ensure that overtime cargoes littering the Lagos port are moved to the Ikorodu lighter terminal government warehouse in other to decongest the port.

According to Davies who was represented by General Manager, Monitoring and Regulatory Services, Ugo Esther Madubuike, said the authority is not pleased with the movement of cargoes to Ikorodu lighter terminal government warehouse as the agency spend more in moving the overtime cargoes from the port than what it get after moving the overtime cargoes.

She said, “The authority is already looking at how to move the overtime cargoes from the port, but I must say that it is not in the interest of NPA to move overtime cargoes to government warehouse.”

“What we want is to see that importers clear their goods as soon as it arrives the port and not waiting for it to become overtime before moving it to government warehouse.

“What the agency gets from clearing of goods at the port is more than saying we want to move overtime cargo to one government ware house, that was not the intention at the beginning, in fact we even spend more by moving this overtime cargoes to the Ikorodu Lighter terminal government ware house”.

She therefore urged the association to seek alternative ways on how to make the Ikorodu port an economic hub.

“Overtime cargo should not be the only source of revenue at Ikorodu, as freight Forwarders I want you to think outside the box and look at ways at which Ikorodu can be more vibrant, how do you think Ikorodu can attract more cargoes thereby making it an economic hub,” he added.