Ports process manual will enhance operational efficiency at Ports–Hassan Bello

The Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer (ES/CEO) of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Barrister Hassan Bello has said that the Nigerian Ports Process manual is key to achieving transparency in Nigerian ports operations.

He said this at a recent event involving the Honourable Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi.

Bello averred that there was need to reduce cargo dwell time from 31 days as it is in Nigeria today to average of seven days which obtains in the region presently.

Bello said, “There is a need to reduce dwell time of cargo from 21 days to the regional average of seven days”

“NSC is not only looking at the ease of doing business but at the cost of doing business”, he continued.

He added that the electronic call-up system by the Nigerian Ports Authority would aid in easing the current traffic situation around the port.

He sought the cooperation of sister agencies to ensure the manual is fully implemented in order to improve the ranking of Nigeria in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI).

The Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, in his keynote address, emphasized the enormity of the responsibility placed on the Nigerian Shippers’ Council for driving the process and urged government agencies and the generality of the public to cooperate with NSC.

According to the press release by Rekiya Zubair, Head Public Relations of the Council, the Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Professor Bolaji Owasanoye stated that the agencies are powerful even as he said it was time to start to put the power into effective use.

“The agencies are not powerless, they have enforcement power, it is time to effectively use these enforcement powers”, he said. He pledged the support of his agency to implement the NPPM