Nigerian seaports are frequently congested, which lead to delays in the shipment of goods. The congestion can be caused by a number of factors, including a lack of infrastructure, inadequate shipping capacity, poor traffic management and corruption. As a result, the seaports often fail to meet the needs of businesses and consumers. This can have a negative impact on the economy as a whole.
Ibrahim Nasiru, The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), General Manager of Corporate and Strategic Communications, appreciates the positive role the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network was playing toward creating a friendly environment for doing business in the maritime industry.
Reduction of demands by corrupt officials on shipmasters.
He believes that the country’s exports could be more competitive if the ease of cargo clearance at the port was improved. By addressing the bottlenecks associated with sailing and berthing of vessels, he believes that the country can focus on improving cargo clearance. This will help to make the country’s exports more competitive on the global stage.
The Nigerian port operation has progressed in a positive manner over the last three years. This can be seen in the reduction of demands made by corrupt public officials on shipmasters and shipping agents in the process of vessel clearance. Essentially holding and delaying individual and business goods until payment.
Create thousands of jobs and increase government revenue.
The goal of our port modernization effort is to create a zero-tolerance environment for corruption and to promote transparency in port operations in accordance with international best practices. This will involve the implementation of new technologies and management practices that will help to remove any opaqueness in the port operations. We believe that this will help to improve efficiency and ensure that goods and cargo are being handled in a timely and effective manner.
The new cargo examination system will help to resolve the current delays that occur during the examination of cargo. This will help to improve the country’s international trade, as well as create thousands of jobs and increase government revenue. The new system will also raise the profit of private enterprises.
Checks have reduced the time taken to clear goods.
The introduction of checks by the Nigerian Customs Service has increased the level of transparency around the processes to be complied with by port users. The checks are aimed at improving trade facilitation and revenue collection in Nigerian ports. The checks involve the inspection of goods and the verification of documents by customs officers. They are conducted at the point of entry and exit of goods from the ports. The checks have helped to reduce the time taken to clear goods from the ports. They have also helped to improve trade efficiency and revenue collection.
Related Links
NPA: Website
