By Muyiwa Lucas
The Chairman, Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Princess Vicky Haastrup, has urged the Federal Government to relocate petroleum depots, also called tank farms, from Apapa.
Reacting to the March 15 explosion at Abule Ado, Lagos State, which claimed 23 lives and displaced more than 500 people from their homes, Haastrup asked the Federal Government to take urgent steps to avoid a repeat of the problem by moving tank farms from residential and crowded areas. Tank farms, she maintained, should be located from the city and the ports.
She said: “We are concerned about the preponderance of tank farms in Apapa, a port area and a high density town. With more than 60 tank farms in the area, the ports, the workers and residents of Apapa are sitting on a keg of gunpowder.
We pray it does not explode, so we appeal to the Federal Government to urgently see to the relocation of these tank farms to avert a future carnage.”
She also said in addition to bad roads and the absence of truck parks in Apapa; the large number of tank farms and oil depots has contributed to traffic congestion in the area.
Haastrup also called for more efficient traffic management system in Apapa to enhance the movement of vehicles while ongoing construction work lasts.
She advised the Federal Ministry of Works and the Lagos State Government to open up inner roads to allow for free flow of traffic.
Read Also: Firms sign MoU for Anambra Bonded Terminal
The STOAN chair also advised the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to concentrate more on trade facilitation, rather than revenue generation to clear congestion at the ports.
She called for the streamlining of government agencies at the port and the reduction of congestion at the port gates as a result of multiple checks by various government agencies.
“We observed that the volumes of containers handled at the ports have continued to witness geometric growth, while the supporting port infrastructure, especially the port access and Customs clearing processes, have continued to be a drag on the efficiency of the ports.
Since the first quarter of 2019, volumes have been growing by 20 per cent as a result of the closure of Nigeria’s land borders. The unanticipated growth has posed a major challenge to container terminal operators.
“As a result, we advise that the Nigeria Customs Service automates its clearing and cargo release system to clear the backlog of cargoes at the port.
The scanners at the port are not working, while almost all the cargoes landed at our ports are subjected to 100 per cent physical examination.
In Lagos ports, up to 70 percent of the containers are subjected to physical examination. These have to change to allow for free flow of trade,” she added.
Leave a Reply