Shippers’ Council seeks strategic partnership with Lagos Government to achieve seamless port operations.

Segun Oladipupo |

The Executive Secretary/CEO of the Nigerian Shipper’s Council (NSC), Barr. Hassan Bello on Wednesday sought synergy with Lagos State government over the adoption of a multimodal approach to cargo
delivery and evacuation, 24-hour Port Operations, Digitalisation of the Port and Traffic Management.

Barrister Bello made the plea for this strategic synergy while on a working visit to the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu in his office at. Alausa.

The ES/CEO, who went on the visit with some Directors in the agency, emphasised the importance of synergy and coordination, while further
stressing that provision of infrastructure must be prioritised.

In a statement signed by Rekiya Zubair, Head, Public Relations of the Council, the ES disclosed that the purpose of the meeting was to brief the governor on some key issues like a multimodal approach to cargo delivery & evacuation, 24-hour Port Operations, Digitalisation of the Port and Traffic Management.

He was quoted as saying, “if the infrastructure is not coordinated or integrated, very little progress will be made”.

Commending both Lagos State and the Federal Government, the NSC boss drew attention to Federal Government’s effort in ensuring that the ports access roads are completed.

Bello presented to Governor Sanwo-Olu and his team the 2015 NSC-commissioned National Freight
Information and Transport Hub (NAFITH) report which outlined solutions to the Apapa traffic problem that arose after the concession of the ports.

The ES offered the Council’s assistance to train LASTMA officials for better service delivery in the port axis, an offer that was well-received by the governor who added that LASTMA should have an office in Apapa.

Bello informed the governor about the monthly meeting of the heads of Maritime agencies. He said the
synergy brought about by the meeting would impact positively on the Maritime sector, leading to
economic gains for the nation.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, who was at the meeting with his deputy, Dr. Femi Hamzat, the commissioner of Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport, Mr. Oluseyi Whenu and the Special Assistant – Transportation, Mr. Oluwatoyin Fayinka, assured the team from Shippers’ Council of his cooperation, stating that the goals of his government and that of Nigerian Shippers’ Council in terms of restoring sanity to Apapa and it’s environment are similar