- Friday, May 3, 2024
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The Federal Government has directed that physical inspection of cargoes at the ports be phased out.
This was disclosed yesterday
after a meeting held between the ministers of Marine and Blue Economy,
Adegboyega Oyetola, his counterpart in the ministry of Transportation, Senator
Said Ahmed Alkali and the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service
(NCS) Bashir Adewale Adeniyi
The directive, it was
gathered, is part of the efforts of the government to stop NCS personnel
operating at the seaports from physically sorting out goods for inspection,
thus ensuring efficiency and competitiveness and end corruption and other
bottlenecks.
At the meeting, they agreed
that the use of modern technologies like scanners is important to addressing
the issue of ports congestion, so as to ensure efficiency and competitiveness.
The resolutions were contained
in a statement jointly signed by the spokesperson to the Minister of Marine and
Blue Economy, Ismail Omipidan and the National Public Relations Officer of
Customs, Abdullahi Maiwada.
To this end, Adeniyi has been charged to enforce the use of scanners at the ports, and urged private investors to invest in the deployment and maintenance of scanners at the nation's ports.
The meeting took the decision because the most harrowing part of the experience at the port is the cargo clearing process.
For the examining officer, physical cargo inspection can be life threatening.
Cargo scanning is a non-invasive method of inspecting and identifying goods in transit to specified destinations. It is frequently used to scan freight shipping containers and this means that scanners can be mounted on trucks to scan vehicles, containers and other objects, without opening them.
According to the statement, the meeting, was held at the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and had the Managing Director of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Fidet Okhiria attending virtually.
The meeting also resolved to ensure a new construction that will bypass the fixed scanner at Apapa port, so as to ensure the unhindered progression of scanning process during crucial infrastructure development.
"In a significant
milestone for Nigeria's maritime landscape, a pivotal strategic meeting was
held at the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy on Monday, 15 January 2024.
"The primary thrust of this collaborative venture was to deliberate and actualise initiatives that would not only open up ports but also foster seamless cooperation and trade and facilitation. A key focal point of discussion was the strategic integration of the Non-Intrusive Inspection Technology (NIIT) to bolster operational efficiency in Nigerian Seaports.
"Acknowledging the pivotal role of NIIT in actively decongesting ports, the meeting entrusted the Comptroller General of Customs with the mandate to champion and prioritize cargo scanning over traditional physical examination methods,” the statement read.
Immediate action, the statement said, "was endorsed to rectify and optimize all existing scanners at prominent ports such as Apapa, Tincan Island, Onne, and PTML. Simultaneously, the existing mobile scanners will be strategically deployed to facilitate expeditious cargo inspections.
"The Nigerian Railway
Corporation (NRC) pledged continued commitment to freight cargoes to Inland
container depots/dry ports, a strategic move to alleviate congestion at major
ports. Plans were unveiled for the efficient evacuation of containers from Port
Harcourt to Aba, with future extensions envisaged for Onne Port.
"Against the backdrop of rail track construction, the NRC concurred on a pragmatic approach by agreeing to bypass the fixed scanner at Apapa. This ensures the unhindered progression of scanning process during crucial infrastructure development.
"The meeting advocated for exploring Public-Private Partnerships to oversee the installation and maintenance of scanning technology. This collaborative model aims to sustain efficiency and foster innovation in cargo inspection processes.
The collaborative synergy witnessed at the meeting "underscores the unwavering commitment of the Nigerian government to cultivate a conducive and efficient trade environment. The anticipated implementation of these resolutions is poised to positively impact port decongestion, trade facilitation, and overall operational efficiency and competitiveness."
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