Freight Forwarders call for conversion of Ikorodu Terminal into holding bay

By Dapo Olawuni |

Ahead of the proposed electronic call up system by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA),
freight forwarders have called on the authority to convert Ikorodu Terminal into an empty container holding bay as well as an export holding bay, while the Lillypond Container Terminal, Ijora Lagos should be converted into an overtime cargo bay.

Presently, the NPA is using the Lillypond Container Terminal at Ijora as a truck park, while the Ikorodu Terminal serves as holding bay for overtime cargoes and its manual truck call up system.

But speaking with Nigeriamaritime360.com in Lagos, Deputy President of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Mr Ugochukwu Nnadi argued that for the traffic gridlock to disappear completely, truckers should be directed to return empty containers to Ikorodu Terminal from where terminal operators can easily transfer them with badges to their terminals.

Nnadi argued that the permanent solution to Apapa traffic is to decentralize point of loading and dropping of empty containers for truck drivers.

He said

“Let Kirikiri Terminal and Ikorodu Liter terminal be designated for containers that wants to leave the port, either empty containers or export, the terminals will on their own use badges to convey the containers to the port”

“If this is done, you would not see any truck lying up with containers waiting to enter the port. Any overtime cargoes at the offdock terminals should be sent to Lillypond terminal”

“Lillypond should be used as government warehouse instead of Ikorodu, Lillypond is central and close to all the terminals, any terminal can easily transfer their overtime cargoes there, but the Ikorodu on the other hand is very far and many agents are complaining that how can they be going to far away Ikorodu”

“If Lillypond is converted into a government warehouse, I don’t think the challenges would still remain”

“There are two reasons for the traffic, first is it that sometimes the capacity of the terminal is filled up, they cannot receive more containers, so they won’t allow more to come in”

“Secondly, the truck drivers always have the mindset of coming to the port, drop their empties and pick another, but if they don’t have a customer to load, they would want to remain there on the road. If they are required to drop empty at a different location and pick cargoes at different location, they would make sure they drop their container on time so that whenever they are needed, they would drive straight to the port “

he said

The NAGAFF Deputy President also alleged that two months after the Assistant Comptroller General of Customs in charge of Zone A, Kaycee Ekekezie ordered all customs commands to resume holding their stakeholders meetings, none of them have complied.

He lamented that their are lots of operational challenges in interaction with Customs officers, and that it is through stakeholders forums that these challenges can be heard and resolved.

“I remember when the ACG Zone A came here and she heard that there was nothing like stakeholders meeting at the commands, she was surprised, and she gave an order that stakeholders meetings must be held at least once in a month, even when there are no issues to discus, shake hands, share pleasantries and go, ever since she gave the directive, nothing has happened”

“The Customs now see everything as their personal properties whereby they would implement and interpret it the way they like, whether the government or the stakeholders likes it or not, they don’t care”

he said