NARTO takes Stock of 2018, charges Govt on infrastructure

Tayo Oladipupo

The Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) has recounted some of the challenges faced by members of the association in the out-going year, 2018.

According to the group of transporters, bad access road to the ports, non-availability of functional holding bays for receiving empty containers leading to the reduction in the man-hours within the period under review.

Abdullahi Inuwa Mohammed, the Lagos State Vice Chairman, Dry Cargo Section of NARTO, stated this in an interview with journalists in Lagos.

He noted that poor access road to the ports, non-availability of functional holding bays for receiving empty containers leading to the reduction in the man-hours of the truckers made the list of challenges faced by the truckers in the outgoing year.

The NARTO chieftain said,” We the truckers have faced a lot of challenges even though the situation is about to change for the better. There were some challenges that had to do with accessing the port, there were some challenges in the area of port operation especially the non-provision of holding bays for receiving of empty containers by the shipping companies and this did not allow the importers to have their goods out of the port because it is when there is free flow of movement that things will be well for truckers”.

He however said that the situation was gradually improving in terms of infrastructural development as evident in the reconstruction of the Wharf Road in Apapa and the flagging off by the federal government of the reconstruction of the Oshodi-Apapa-Oworonsoki expressway which according to him would improve the ease of doing business at the ports.

According to him, “We have to appreciate that as the year gradually comes to an end, we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel in terms of infrastructural development at the Apapa Wharf road where we have seen a solid job done by Dangote and Flour Mills as Corporate Social Responsibility, to which also the Nigerian Ports Authority under Hadiza Bala Usman had committed about N1.8 million.

“We have seen that it is a dream come true, we have relief but people will think that following the outcome of the road reconstruction, we will get the desired relief but it is not so except if we have done the needful in terms of having some of the amenities that shipping companies have to provide.

“But we just hope that seeing that federal government came to flag off the reconstruction of Apapa-Oworonshoki-Oshodi expressway, we hope the project will be sped up. Apart from that, all other things that they know will cause some obstacles during the construction work, that is both the NPA management and the contractor handling the reconstruction work, let them do the needful. On the part of the contractor, let them create alternative routes before the reconstruction work begins and carry out palliative measures on those roads so that there will be smooth flow of traffic”.

On the expectations of the association in the coming year of 2019, Inuwa said, “We are expecting to have a smooth flow of traffic because part of the problem is not having functional holding bays for receiving empty containers. I think that if Brawal lighter terminal which is empty and I know that the concession for the Lilypond terminal has expired since 2016, if the Nigerian Ports Authority will have the political will to at least make use of these two terminals and dedicate them to only shipping companies that have no holding bay to be receiving only empty containers.

“It is from there that the shipping companies will ferry their empty containers to the port because the terminal can get approval from NPA on the number of containers that are moving to the port, they can raise call up for the trucks to carry them. They can as well make use of the rail to take them to the port.

“At Brawal, the shipping companies can also get approval from the NPA through the Port Managers on the number of containers that they are taking to the port. They can also raise a call up through trucks; they can also use barges from Brawal. I think the terminal can serve as multipurpose, if this is done, I think it will reduce more pressure on the road.

“If they tackle the problems associated with receiving of empty containers successfully, our maritime sector will be booming more than what we have now. Some of our neighbouring countries that were willing to make use of our ports, because of this problem now, they cannot come but if they can get this right, the trend will change because when we have good roads, it will make business move.

“Also, if it will be possible for us to have a Single Window to accommodate all these agencies to be on one platform, it will help the industry,” he stated.