By Meletus EZE
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) says Federal Government will soon institute a Wreck Insurance Policy (WIP) for vessels arriving in Nigerian ports for operational efficiency and navigational safety.
The NPA Managing Director, Ms Hadiza Usman, made this known in Lagos on Friday while addressing major stakeholders of the nation’s maritime sector at a one-day Quarterly Summit of the Ports Consultative Council (PCC).
Usman said the policy would provide avenue for the port management to evacuate abandoned vessels in the entire nation’s territorial water.
She also said the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had granted approval for a Private-Public Partnership (PPP) agreement of N72 billion for the ports access roads in Apapa and Tin Can Island.
On the gridlock on port access roads, she said only trucks that were housed in the proposed trailer parks would be allowed entry into the port locations soon.
“The management is to deploy an electronic call-up system that allows access to the ports only when they are needed.
“The Apapa Wharf road reconstruction project has reached 85 per cent completion.
“The road will be fully completed in the next four to six weeks period,” Usman said in a statement.
She said the efficient utilisation of inland waterways was key to decongestion of ports access road.
Usman said a company, ‘Connect-Rail’, which was engaged by the authority to provide barge evacuation, was currently moving cargoes and several tons of containers between Ikorodu and the terminals through the water.
“The management of NPA was desirous on how it could use the waterways farther even away from Ikorodu to other locations to ease the congestion of Apapa and Tin Can Island axis,” she said.
The Chairman of the Council, Chief Kunle Folarin, said the meeting was strategic and an avenue to examine issues relating to the operations of the port industry, especially as it concerned port operators.
Folarin said at the end of the meeting, the council always came up with a blue print that would enhance efficient port operations and management.
He described Usman in three words of Decisive, Resourceful and Engaging. Folarin lauded the NPA boss for addressing issues that affected port operations, adding that the issues were germane for efficient port administration.
