The Nation Newspaper

Tag: efficient

  • Making the ports efficient, competitive

    Generally referred to as the ‘Gateway to the Economy’, the nation’s seaports remain critical to economic diversification. But, for the ports to play their critical role of driving diversification, operators and industry stakeholders say there is an urgent need to ensure that they become more economically efficient and competitive. They argue that efficiency ports will benefit the maritime industry and the economy more. Assistant Editor, MUYIWA LUCAS reports.

    It has become an annual routine, one filled with high hopes for the sector. However, the poser by the year end will be to what extent are these hopes realised? Last week, the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), released its maritime forecast for 2019/2020. Under the ambitious forecast, the government expects the maritime industry to contribute 10 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    The forecast, the second in the series, tagged: “Harnessing the Maritime and Shipping Sector for Sustainable Growth”, aimed at giving direction to investors and stakeholders in the industry in their planning and investment decisions as part of efforts to attract more foreign direct investment to the economy. Major plans covered by the forecast are the economic environment, the maritime industry (local and global), regulatory framework, and emerging opportunities and challenges.

    NIMASA Director-General (DG), Dakuku Peterside, who reckoned that the sector held high hopes for the country, revealed that the forecast will address how emerging trends in the global maritime industry would affect the Nigerian maritime sector as well as domestic factors that will influence the sector.

    “The maritime sector has the potential of contributing at least 10 per cent of Nigeria’s GDP in no distant future, as Nigeria has the biggest market in Africa; and generates about 65-67 per cent of cargo throughput in West Africa, and 65 per cent of all cargoes heading for these regions will most likely end up in the Nigerian market,” the DG said.

    The NIMASA DG also said the government has made consistent efforts to drive changes in the maritime and shipping sector through regulatory and infrastructural developments. He added that the main public bodies regulating the maritime and shipping sector had all keyed into the government’s strategies to reform the operating environment and improve on the country’s ease of doing business index, which has the potential of attracting more businesses to the maritime industry.

    A foremost freight forwarder, Lucky Amiwero, shares the views expressed by Peterside. He is optimistic of a bright year for most major ports. Looking into his crystal ball, Amiwero, who is the President, National Council of Managing Directors of Customs Licensed Agents (NCMDCLA), foresees a continued uptick in cargo for Apapa and Tin Can ports. He was, however, quick to caution that not all the ports will escape the pressures of rising volumes on infrastructure constraints.

    Perhaps realising the importance of maritime business to the economy, the Akwa Ibom State government, last year, announced the Power China International Group Limited Consortium (Bolloré-PowerChina Consortium) as the preferred bidder for the states’s Ibom Deep Seaport Project (IDSP). Upon its completion, the IDSP is expected to bring smart, world class port handling capacity to the doorsteps of Akwa Ibom State and serve the cargo handling demand of the West and Central African countries, including states in the Southsouth as well as Southeast regions of the country.

    The Secretary to the State Government, Emmanuel Ekuwem, expressed confidence of a boom in the state’s economy upon the completion of the project thus: “We are confident that the IDSP will be pivotal to the economic development of the state and the surrounding regions.”

    One measure to shore up the efficiency of the ports, according to Amiwero, is for the port managers to build up the refrigerated cargo ability and capacity of the ports, as well explore expansion plans for specialised cargoes.

    Vice President/Chief Executive Officer, ENL, Princess Vickky Haastrup, in an earlier interview with The Nation, argued that the maritime industry has not been given enough attention, notwithstanding that port is the gateway to  the nation’s economy.

    “When you come to Apapa, or Tin Can Island, you will know how well our economy is doing in terms of imports and exports. So, I don’t know why enough attention is not given to this sector; why we have such a decayed infrastructure. The access road to the port is impassable. Getting to the port is still a nightmare. It could take you four to five hours to even have access to the port operation,” she said.

    Stakeholders are of the opinion that if port operation is made smooth this year, and a proper enabling environment is provided, then the year will be more rewarding for the industry. One of the steps to ensuring such smooth operations is for government to take a critical look at the number of government agencies at the ports, which is viewed by majority as being an obstacle to operational efficiency. Some of these agencies include Nigeria Customs Service (NCS); Nigeria Food and Drug Administration Commission (NAFDAC); National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service; Port Health; Nigeria Immigration Service; Police and Department of State Security Service.

    Haastrup described the existence of  plethora of agencies as “another bottleneck”. According to her, nowhere in the world does such number of agencies exist in the ports. “That’s not done anywhere in the world. I don’t know why NAFDAC is back. What is NAFDAC coming to do in the port? I don’t understand. They do not have to be present in the port unless they are called as the need arises. If it doesn’t arise, what are they coming for? Things like these, ultimately add to the delay in cargo clearance in the ports because everybody wants to feel important. Everybody wants to exert their authority. That’s how it’s been happening. We’re talking about ease of doing business,” she explained.

    Operators in the industry are convinced that if infrastructural dearth at the ports are addressed, and also ports and cargo operations decentralised, the port business in the country would be more beneficial to all involved in the industry.

    For instance, the Apapa port in Lagos, which began operations in 1970, was built with a capacity for 30,000 cargoes. Now, 49 years after, the same port harbours about 80,000 cargoes but without adequate infrastructural facilities to make it run effectively and efficiently.

    This development, stakeholders contend, makes it imperative for the government to ensure that ports in other parts of the country are positioned effectively for operations. Doing this will reduce the pressure on Lagos Ports. For instance, the Lagos ports, with a capacity utilisation of about 50 – 60 per cent presently, can shed some of this for the ports in the Southsouth – that is Warri, Port Harcourt and Calabar, with a combined capacity utilisation of about 25 per cent. This submission is important, considering the impact it will have on cargo movement, especially when the volume of cargoes transported by road to this region is considered.  Sadly, the Onne Port, which is fairly busy because of the oil and gas operations it handles also begs for good road infrastructure, just like its Lagos counterpart.

    The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Vice President, Kayode Farinto, regretted that Lagos Ports have become an embarrassment, especially when the revenue generated on daily basis from the place is considered.

    To make the ports perform better this year, Farinto said: “If the road is fixed, about 70 per cent of the problem of Lagos port has been solved.  The congestion on the sea and the road will be solved, and it will be better for all.”

    Yet, to exporters, the tariff charged and cost of clearing cargoes have become an important aspect that should be addressed if the industry is to be better positioned for business.

    A freight forwarder, who identified himself as Mr. Tony Okafor, bemoaned the cost of clearing cargoes and delivering same to their destinations, describing it as “ridiculous”.  “Our ports  is the most expensive in West Africa and coupled with the bank charges on the money loaned from the bank, everything is frustrating.”

    He lamented that given the parlous state of the roads around the ports, there is no cargo that does not go into demurrage  because the shipping companies will start collecting money immediately the cargo arrives at the port.

    Haastrup agreed: “When we talk about increase in cost of port business, everybody at one time shouted – terminal operators, but we have been proved right, that it was not terminal operators. You have NPA, NIMASA, freight forwarders, Customs Service, etc.  How many times has Customs Service increased charges? There is a wide gap between the Customs duty paid here and that in Benin Republic. Maybe we also need to see the Customs duty in Benin Republic and look at Customs duty in Nigeria. I’m not condemning the Nigerian government. I’m just trying to tell you that it’s not about terminal operators’ tariff. In Nigeria the duty on cars goes as high as 70 per cent, whereas the in Republic of Benin, it is like 10 per cent. That’s why you see a lot of smuggling because it is more convenient and far cheaper for people to go to Republic of Benin and try to smuggle into Nigeria. That’s why smugglers are mounting pressures on Customs Service because of that disparity and wide margin in Customs duty,” she explained, adding that NIMASA’s levy, compared to other agencies of such in Africa and in other parts of the world, remains high.

    Regulator’s intervention

    Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, informed stakeholders that the Federal Government had initiated reforms to facilitate the development of the “Blue Economy”, saying this involves the enactment of laws and domestication of relevant international instruments.

    These reforms, when implemented, will aid operations in and around the ports. For instance, over 40 per cent of the space at the Lagos Port Complex (LPC) and the Tin-Can Island Port occupied by empty containers, which do not augur well for port operations. In fact, one factor that stakeholders in the industry are unanimous on is the issue of holding bay. A holding bay is where containers are kept or stored after offloading their content.

    However, findings have revealed that many shipping companies do not operate holding bays, contrary to the terms of their licence. This has made stakeholders in the sector to submit that having such a facility and making it efficient, will prosper the industry this year and beyond.

    At the International Association of Port and Harbour (IAPH) Africa Region Conference held last September in Abuja, President Muhammadu Buhari aptly captured the importance of cargo evacuation thus: “After the issues of adequate security and transparency, the one other important factor deciding the competitiveness of ports is that efficiency with which cargoes are evacuated to and from the ports.”

    It is therefore, instructive that early this year, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has begun to enforce the delivery of all empty containers at designated shipping companies holding bays, to manage the traffic in and around the Lagos ports. The regulator also vowed to sanction truck drivers, who failed to comply with directive against bringing empty containers directly to the ports. The Authority has also advised shipping companies to stop using their terminals at the port to store empty containers and no truck driver or owner must be allowed by any NPA official and terminal operators to bring empty containers into the port after delivering goods to importers. The terminal operators are to also declare the number of empty containers in their terminals periodically.

    New incentives

    The Nigerian economy relies heavily on trade and over 70 per cent of the country’s external trade is routed through the Apapa habour. The poor state of access roads to the habour, home to the two biggest seaports in the country, has grown into a national nightmare with a paralysing effect on socio-economic life within Apapa, including the evacuation of cargoes from the Lagos and Tin Can Island ports respectively.

    Last December, NPA Managing Director, Hadiza Bala-Usman, arising from a meeting with stakeholders in the sector, rolled out a regime of palliatives to reduce the financial burden of shippers transacting business in the port, facilitate quick evacuation of cargoes and encourage faster return of empty containers to the port, among other benefits.

    For instance, effective from December 18, 2018, the rent-free period for cargoes stowed at the terminals was increased from three free days to 21 free days, for the next four months. The demurrage free period on return of empty containers was increased from five days to 15 days as well.

    To further ameliorate the hardship faced by cargo owners, shipping companies were directed to immediately deploy barges to evacuate empty containers from the port and take steps to clear the backlog of empty containers under their purview. In addition, terminal operators were advised to negotiate and grant waivers to consignees to facilitate the evacuation of these cargoes, and mitigate against huge financial loss for the terminal operator as well as the consignee.

     

    Intermodal Connectivity

    The NPA, it was gathered, is keen on establishing a seamless intermodal system that allows cargoes to be evacuated from the nation’s port by road, rail and inland waterways. This effort, it is said, would ultimately eliminate delays and make Nigerian ports globally competitive.

    It will be recalled that in 2013, there was an attempt to commence a scheduled freight service for the evacuation of cargo by rail at the nation’s premier port in Apapa. According to the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Apapa and Onne seaports are currently the only two connected by rail of the country’s six major seaports.

    But, despite being the cheapest mode of transport, the percentage of cargo evacuated by rail from the port, remains abysmally low, leading to the congestion experienced at the Lagos ports, since the huge volume of imports being evacuated are mainly by road.

    It is believed that having an efficient interconnectivity will improve the country’s economic competitiveness as targeted under the Economic Recovery and Growth Programme (ERGP). Hence, it becomes imperative that every port must have the compliment of rail infrastructure.

    The NPA projects that by the end of 2021, the ports will be linked by standard gauge railway across the main North-South trading route.

     

    Improved cargo clearance

    According to the NPA, the regulator, like other IAPH Member Ports, is committed to the provisions of the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL) and  has adopted measures that would keep to a minimum, time spent for port traffic flow arrangements  such as loading and unloading; customs clearance; and provision of aids to navigation.

    Besides, the regulator, having succeeded in helping shippers to regain the right to choose the port to land their shipments, irrespective of the type and quality of the cargo, has also stepped up collaborative efforts with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other sister agencies on the implementation of the National Trade Platform (NTP).

    When achieved, the initiative is believed to have the capacity to revolutionise the cargo supply value chain in the country as it will make cargo clearance simpler, faster and more transparent. The project comprises the deployment of a National Single Window along with the provision of scanning services at all the ports.

    The NIMASA DG also disclosed that the government had made consistent effort to drive changes in the maritime and shipping sector through regulatory and infrastructural developments. He added that the main public bodies regulating the maritime and shipping sector had all keyed into the government’s strategies to reform the operating environment and improve on the country’s ease of doing business index, which has the potential of attracting more businesses to the maritime industry.

    If Dakuku’s assurances of NIMASA’s resolve to push for reforms that will help grow the maritime sector prevails, then government, stakeholders said, would have ensured that freight forwarders and all involved in the sector, are not frustrated in the process of carrying out their business, while the ease of doing business mantra would have been aided.

  • Towards efficient airport management

    Towards efficient airport management

    Managing airports in 2017 had its many challenges. Efforts by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to address some of these sore points, including the shortage of technical manpower and redesigning of airport security architecture, may, however, signal better days ahead for the industry, writes KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR reports. 

    Taking stock of developments in aviation in the last one year has become difficult.This is predicated on the inability of operators, regulators and officials of the airport authority to agree on the modalities for running an effective airport system.

    Besides the challenge of reaching  an agreement on how to run effective  airport systems, dearth of technical manpower has remained on the burner.

    With ageing workers in technical areas, experts said unless urgent steps were taken, airport management systems might be in dire straits.

    Consistently, the industry continue to  navigate around intrigues, controversies and scandals over the state of security at airports.

    As aviation authorities struggle to keep the airport security running, allegation of infractions to air safety continue to rear its ugly head in the face of alleged reports over vandalism of aircaft parked on the tarmac of the Lagos Airport.

    But, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said it is navigating around critical safety  and security issues that emanate  from the airports.

    The authority said it is working hard to ensure it complies with all statutory requirements prescribed by the global regulator, International Civil Aviation Organisation ( ICAO), in ensuring that it addresses shortcomings in airport operations.

    Specifically, its Managing Director, Saleh Dunoma, an engineer, said the authority in the last one year has taken bold steps to address shortage of technical personnel by embarking on aggressive recruitment and training of aviation security personnel as well as airport rescue and fire fighting officers.

     

    Steps Taken

    In the last few years, Dunoma said over 300 aviation security officers have been recruited.

    Beyond recruitment, he said FAAN ensured that the officers underwent mandatory standard aviation  training courses  to equip them with the knowledge and trends of handling threats to aviation security.

    He said the safety officials had been sent abroad for tarining on airports’security.

    Dunoma said: “Over 300 aviation security and airports rescue and fire fighting officers were recruited in  2016 to address shortage of manpower and ageing work force.

    ‘’Key operational officers, especially from aviation security and fire department were trained both locally and internationally, to enhance operational efficiency at the airports.”

     

    ICAO safety regulations programmes 

    Last year, Nigeria underwent a safety audit conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) officials aimed at ensuring that the airports are run in line with the standards and recommended practices of the global body.

    Ahead of the audit, FAAN organised trainings for its aerodrome personnel on runway markings, aerodrome design and management.

    The robust preparation for the audit assisted Nigeria to emerge  winner in the ICAO universal safety programme, scoring over 96 per cent.

    A thinktank group, Aviation Roundtable Safety Initiative (ART) Secretary-General, Group Captain John Ojikutu (rtd), called on FAAN to fix all sore points involving runway operations.

    The group called on the regulatory authority to call FAAN to order by ensuring that threat to air safety was not compromised.

     

    Airports reconstruction

    Last year, the airport was subjected to intense strain following the temporary closure and reconstruction of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja for six weeks.

    Earlier, some groups, including the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), led by Captain Nogie Meggison, challenged FAAN.

    But, the airport authority said it was acting in the best safety interest by shutting for the agreed time to enable it fix many challenges at the terminal.

    According to Dunoma, the relocation of flights from Abuja to Kaduna Airport also provided an opportuniy for FAAN to fix critical safety infrastructure at both airports.

    Describing it as a trying time, Dunoma said FAAN stepped up efforts to upgrade facilities at the Kaduna Airport, designated the alternate aerodrome. He said the airport was upgraded to Category 9 in terms of air field lighting and runway capacity. Dunoma said: “2017 was a very challenging year for airport managers, because we had to ensure that the reconstruction of Abuja Airport runway was completed in record time.

    Though stakeholders are not excited over the slow pace of work at the five international airport terminals in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and Enugu, the FAAN boss assured that the projects would soon be completed.

    He said when completed, these terminals would enable the airports handle more passenger traffic.

    Dunoma said: “I’m okay with the state of our airports, as far as the management and running of the airports are concerned.

    “But we need to develop them further and this has to do with additional infrastructure that we require. Right now, if you look at the airports, there is congestion in terms of the traffic. These terminals were built a long time ago. For example, Lagos airport (Murtala Muhammed International Airport) is about 40 years old, Abuja airport (Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport) is over 20 years old and Kano airport (Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport) was built even before I was born; it’s about 60 years old.

    “So, we need to expand these airports to meet with the growth in traffic and this is where we have a problem.

    “If we develop in accordance with the pace of traffic growth, we would not have issues. In Lagos airport, the terminal was built originally to handle 120,000 passengers per annum. But today, it’s handling seven million passengers per year. How do we reconcile that?”

     

    Engagement with private sector

    In the last few years, the airport authority has been struggling to source funds to build facilities at airports.

    To resolve this hurdle, it has adopted  the concession model, which last year brought about the construction of an ultra-modern five-storey car park at the Lagos International Airport.

    But, this has come with a challenge as the security architecture had to be reworked to cater to the need of airport users.

    Dunoma said: “Airport security architecture has been restructured to contain emerging airport security challenges.

    “FAAN has continued discussions on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mechanism to inject new life to our airports.

    “Cargo airports have been strengthened to encourage agro-allied businesses.

    ”We continue to work on the provision and maintenance of general airport infrastructure.

    “We have created   business friendly  environment for enduring partnerships with aviation investors.”

     

    Certification of airports

    Though  it was received  with mixed reactions by stakeholders, the certification of Lagos and Abuja airports by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) was a major feat for FAAN in 2017.

    Ojikutu said FAAN should have a mandatory runway and airport maintenance programme rather than engage infrivolous certification of other airports.

    But, Dunoma described it as a feat that should not be wished away, because it took over 20 years to accomplish.

    He said: ”Above all, we are excited over the certification of Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

    “The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has continued to drive the nation’s airports to success through robust engagements with critical airport stakeholders to ensure that its mandates are continually being delivered to the public. FAAN’s doors are open for potential investors who may wish to take advantage of the various investment opportunities at our airports nationwide as it repositions to serve you better.”

     

    Addressing epileptic power supply 

    Aside the strides accomplished by FAAN, the Lagos Airport continues to grapple with the challenge of disruption in power supply to the terminals.

    Many passengers in 2017 complained about the Lagos Airport Terminal being thrown into darkness.

    But, Dunoma said the challenge was being addressed. He said:  “FAAN fully commenced the process of migrating to a brand new independent power source, with the acquisition of six brand new generators with a capacity of 29.1 MVA at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, thereby resolving the power challenges at the airport.

    Installation and inauguration  three  brand new Carousels at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport to speed up baggage facilitation, enhancing passenger comfort and convenience.

     

    Global recognition 

    Last year, Nigeria maintained her regional leadership in African aviation when Dunoma was elected the President of Airports Council International (ACI) Africa.

    His is saddled  with coordinating  and ensuring  the entrenchment of safety and security as core values in airport organisations in Africa.

    Also last year, Nigeria hosted the ICAO global conference of aviation finance in Abuja, where players across the globe designed the blueprint for accelerated development of air transport in Africa.

  • ‘Our mandate is to make PHCs more efficient’

    ‘Our mandate is to make PHCs more efficient’

    Dr. Faisal Shuaib is the newly appointed Executive Secretary of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA). In this interview with Vincent Ikuomola and Olugbenga Adanikin, he identified challenges confronting access to primary health care delivery in the country and concerted efforts being made to provide sustainable solutions to the sector. Excerpts:

    We know how paramount the health care centres are to your mandate. Considering their current status, will you say you are satisfied?

    Have you met anyone who is satisfied with the state of primary healthcare centres (PHC) in Nigeria? Obviously not, right? Clearly there has been some progress in the last few decades in terms of where we are coming from but we are far short from where we need to be in terms of delivering quality primary health care services. If you go to a lot of PHC centres, it’s either they don’t have right infrastructure, human resources, drugs, commodities, power, water and ambulances that will ensure there is prompt referral of cases. This is the reality in a lot of health facilities in a lot of PHCs in the country.

    That is why immediately Mr. President came onboard he made it very clear that his priority is to see how he can close the gap between the rich and the poor. Those who live in the urban areas and rural areas when it comes to accessing quality health care. So no matter where you live in Nigeria, the vision of Mr. President is for you to be able to access the best of PHC services, largely because PHC is the foundation of any healthcare delivery system. If the foundation is weak, of course, the whole infrastructure will collapse. That is why people say the whole healthcare delivery system is near collapse in Nigeria because people are not managed quickly when they fall sick. Sometimes, the illness get complicated that they will need secondary or tertiary care and some times, need to go abroad because the kind of tertiary care may not be sufficient to ensure they recover from the ailments.

    So yes, there is some progress but when you look across the different indices, most if not all, are sub optimal indices such as maternal mortality, infant mortality rates point to the fact that we don’t have an effective and efficient PHC system. If we do, then you see direct correlation with these indices. I can sit here and say we have a perfect system but if you look at these indices, they tell us the story.

    What we are trying to do in NPHCDA and the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) is unprecedented. Once Mr. President provided the vision, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole took up a strategy of saying if we want to improve PHC in Nigeria, then access is a huge issue so is quality. Why can’t we start by saying in each of the 9556 wards that we have in Nigeria, almost 10, 000 wards, why don’t we have functional PHC centres so that no matter where you live within a ward, it is possible for you to trek short distance and you will have access to a functional PHC. The Minister is clear on that and as an implementing agency the NPHCDA has taken it upon itself to ensure its realisation. But what the minister did first was to start with one health facility per senatorial district to be renovated. That comes to about 109 plus 1 where we have cases of Lassa fever few years ago. So that makes it 110. We are focusing on renovating, equipping, putting the right human resources, drugs and equipment in these 110 health facilities.

    In 2018 budget, we also made provision for the repair of 774 PHC facilities. We are hoping that with the appropriation of basic healthcare provision fund, there will be more funds available to infuse into the PHC system to see rapid improvement in PHC delivery in Nigeria. We are really optimistic. Yes, we were at a point where there is a lot of neglect in the last few years but better days are ahead when it comes to delivery of PHC in Nigeria.

    Four years down the lane, a lot of contractors failed to complete PHC projects across the country.

    You are absolutely right.

    Are there measures the NPHCDA is designing to sanction or delist erring contractors?               

    We have compiled a comprehensive and consolidated list of all the uncompleted projects in the last few years. Sometimes, it is because clearly the contractors have not done their work and they have gone away without completing the jobs. Some of them might have been paid to a certain level but for some of these projects; it is a question that the contractors did not finish the work and the financial year ended without being paid and the fund allocated maybe in 2013 for those PHC facilities were not spilled over to 2014. So in 2014, you will finish the year and there is no fund made for the previous year. So we have compiled a list of all the facilities and we will take it to the National Assembly to say, here we are, so many health facilities are uncompleted all across Nigeria. How do we make funds now available to make sure they are completed and how do we ensure the contractors that have defaulted are brought to book in a way that is systematic, transparent and sustainable. We will do it even before we go for our budget defense because it has to be part of the conversations for 2018 budget. We cannot continue to litter the whole place with uncompleted projects.

    What do you have to say as regard this bias among families in the north where women are discouraged from accessing PHCs?                              

    It is a question of awareness providing the right information through religious leaders, media and community-based organisations and traditional based organisations to increase knowledge that if a woman is pregnant, it is important for her to go for antenatal care so that when it is time for her to deliver, she will know where to go and have the delivery and also know what the danger signs her. For instance, if she starts bleeding, she knows that is a very serious issue, if she goes into labour for over 12 hours, she knows it’s a danger sign. We are also educating husbands that once a woman is pregnant, the best place for her to be is the hospital where she can be attended to. We are scaling up all of those awareness creation with the state PHC agency because our responsibility as NPHCDA is to provide oversight, set standards and regulate primary healthcare delivery in a way that Nigerians get the best PHC. We are working with the State PHC agencies to develop indicators to track how states are doing on awareness creation about the need to attend antenatal and child care.

    We are also launching what we call Community Health Influencers, Promoters and Services (CHIPS) programme. It is a community health programme to identify influential women in communities that have basic elementary and sometime secondary education. We will be training them for six months on how they can provide quality information, influence women in their communities to go for antenatal care, to take their children for immunisation and to do first aid if someone is injured in their community. They will be able to teach women how to prepare oral salt solution if a child has diarrhea. These are programmes we will be scaling up nationwide. They are bits and pieces of community health programmes being sponsored by development partners but government realised that it is important for us to scale-up across the nation. It is evident all over the world that these types of community health workers are important. There is evidence to show that they work. They do not impinge on the terms of reference or the work spectrum of other healthcare workers while they are below the level of community health adaptation worker. They do not go to the health facilities. We supervise them and ensure they do the right thing and get all supports required to do their work. Scaling-up has always been said to be expensive but we are saying that how expensive it is, the life of woman who bleeds to death in a community because she doesn’t have the right care and information that will ensure she has a skilled birth attendant by the time she is delivering her baby.

    How soon will this be launched?

    We are hoping that in the next few weeks, it will be launched by Mr. President. We are trying to get a date for it. As it were, all the background works, communicating to the stakeholders has already been done. It is just a complete rollout that we are waiting for by Mr. President.

    The NPHCDA recently held immunisation programme in the North East because of insecurity, so what will you say is your overall assessment of the programme in the North East, especially in Adamawa state.

    Right now, what we did was to phase the implementation in Adamawa state. There are some areas we have security concerns. Those areas will be done as part of phase two but for the phase one, we have been able to carry out a credible campaign and from the preliminary report we are getting, I think we are going to do a good job of coverage kits in Adamawa state but we will not risk the lives of our health workers in places where they do not feel secured. The most important thing is to reach the right kids and give them the vaccines in an atmosphere where both parents and health workers feel much secured. We have to consider security and safety of health workers and the guardians. We also know that there are efforts by Adamawa state government to restore normalcy to some of these areas. Once we get green light from Adamawa state government and the security operatives that it is safe, then people will go and vaccinate the children. We are hopeful that in the next few days, we will be able to do some vaccinations in the area.

  • Union Bank wins most efficient Bank in e-reference operations award

    Union Bank wins most efficient Bank in e-reference operations award

    Union Bank has been awarded the most effective bank in e-reference operations. This was announced at the recently concluded 2017 CBN/NIBSS Electronic Payment Incentive Scheme Awards, organised by the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigeria Inter-bank Settlement System.

    The e-reference operations refer to one of the activities carried out in Central Processing Centre (CPC) under the Account Opening/Documentation Unit. Contested by all the banks in Nigeria, Union Bank, Fidelity Bank, and First City Monument Bank (FCMB) were shortlisted, with Union Bank recognised as the most efficient bank in ensuring reference requests are processed within minutes of receipt on the platform, a measure which is considered commendable compared with the turnaround time of other banks in the industry.

    Coming off a successful transformation initiative, the new award is the latest in a string of accolades for Union Bank, as it was recently recognised the “Most Improved Retail Bank” at the BusinessDay Banking Awards, the CBN award as the ‘Best bank in Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund in Nigeria’.

    The lender also won two international awards for ‘Best Brand Development to Reflect Changed Mission/Vision/Positioning’ and the ‘Best Visual Identity from the Financial Services Sector’.

    Speaking after the announcement, the Head of Operations and Technology, Union Bank, Lucky Jayaratne, shared the bank’s commitment to improving customers’ lifestyles by massively investing in providing a safer, simpler and smarter way of banking.

    “The improvement in our banking operations is clearly evidenced by the growth in the daily transactions on our online banking channels. Union Bank also has the fastest-growing online banking platforms in Nigeria, so we are very delighted to receive this award. We promise to continue building on our achievements and to ensure that our customers enjoy a simpler and smarter banking system,” he said.

  • How to make refineries efficient, by expert

    Steady access to crude oil will enhance refineries’ efficiency,  Enfrasco Energy and Infrastructure Services Limited Chairman/Chief Executive Officer Chukwuma Okolo has  said.

    He also said autonomy in the management of refineries, such that their Managing Directors (MDs) could take decisions without elaborate applications to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) or the Presidency for approval should be ensured.

    In an interview in Lagos, the oil and gas expert said Nigeria did not need to privatise its refineries to make them work.

    According to him, determination and political will are all that is required to drive the refineries in Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Warri.

    Okolo noted the refineries by international standard were not old, adding that refinery maintenance and operation have simple processes.

    He said those running the refineries are among the best in the world, adding that if privatised, it will is still be these same Nigerians who are running it today that will run them. He said commitment was important.

    “Our refineries by global standard are extremely good, they are not old, there are refineries built in the sixties, most of our refineries were built in the 80s and 90s-there’s the “old old” Port Harcourt refinery, which was the first one ever to be built, then there was the Port Harcourt (second refinery), there is the Warri refinery which is actually three plants in one, we call it Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company which is a refinery, a petrochemical plant as well as a carbon black plant, there is Kaduna refinery which is actually a dual crude finery,” he said.

    He said the Kaduna refinery could handle both Nigerian crude and imported Venezuelan heavy crude, adding the “design was that when we need to run it so that we can produce bitumen for road construction, they run the heavy crude and have the byproducts of running heavy crude after kerosene, petrol and diesel”.

    According to him, the Kaduna refinery was designed as dual crude plant to refine Nigeria light crude or more of the Venezuelan heavy crude depending on the product yield desired.

  • How to create efficient public service, by HoS

    Lagos State Head of Service (HOS) Mrs Olabowale Ademola has urged public servants to continue to provide quality service in line with the government’s policy of inclusion.

    Mrs Ademola was briefing reporters over the weekend, to kick off the 2016 Public Service Week Celebration in the state, with the theme, “Inclusiveness and Public Service Delivery”.

    The celebration, she said, was significant because it is an opportunity to reflect on the progress made so far in transforming the civil service into a modern, innovative and effective instrument of governance and development.

    The commemoration of the Public Service Day, the HoS noted, is in pursuance of the Tangier Declaration of the Conference of African Civil Service Ministers which in 1994 mandated African countries to observe June 23 as the African Day of Administration and Civil Service.

    “The primary objective of the celebration is to acknowledge the contributions that the civil service makes towards the development of our dear state and to highlight the vital role it will play in meeting the challenges which the 21st century promises. The day is also meant to draw attention to the working conditions and quality of public servants who devote their lives to service diligently,”Mrs. Ademola said.

    According to her, Lagos is one of the few states consistently observing the Public Service Day and the government has lined up activities stretching over a week which would end on Thursday, in order to show how important the day is to the Public Service Office.

    She added: “As it is our tradition, a lot of activities mixed with pomp and ceremony have been lined up in a week-long exercise that will climax June 23 to commemorate the day. Such activities include Jumat service’, interdenominational service, walk for Fitness, parades by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAS), visitation to charitable organisations, health screening and public lecture, among others.”

    The HoS urged public servants to participate in all the activities to ensure a successful week-long celebration.

    Earlier,Ven. Femi Taiwo Presiding Chaplain of the Chapel of Christ the Light, Alausa, Ikeja, advised the workers tobe diligent in their duties.

    He gave the advice at an Interdominational Thanksgiving Service to commemorate the celebration.

    Speaking on the theme: “Faithful servants & reward of hard work”, Ven. Taiwo said public servants must be assiduously in their assignment, distinguish themselves and exhibit exemplary service.

    He said: “Hard work is the antidote to poverty’ adding that God created people to work, give service to humanity and care for others hence public servants must always work hard.

    The thanksgiving service was attended by the governor’s wife, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode, who was represented by the Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, the Chief Judge, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade, who was represented by the Chief Registrar of the Lagos, High Court, Mr. Emmanuel Ogundare; Mrs. Ademola, a former Head of Service, Mr Adesegun Ogunlewe, and  Permanent Secretaries.

  • Ikeja Electric rolls out programmes for efficient service delivery

    Ikeja Electric rolls out programmes for efficient service delivery

    The Ikeja Electric has begun the roll out of two vital programmes – Advanced Meter Infrastructure (AMI) and Customer Enumeration, Technical Audit and Asset Mapping (CETAAM), aimed at ensuring that customers are metered, and get quality service.

    The Advanced Meter Infrastructure (AMI) targets the metering of all customers with smart meters and the Company targets installation of 300,000 meters in the next three years.

    Chief Executive officer, Ikeja Electric, Mr. Abiodun Ajifowobaje said the roll out of the smart meters, which started last month, represents a remarkable step in the company’s quest for redefining service delivery in the sector. This development resonates with our new spirit, new drive and new energy identity, as we strive to create value for our customers, he added

    Ajifowobaje told reporters in Lagos that the meter roll out started in September with the installation of 6000 meters after the successful completion of the pilot scheme of the advanced meter installation phase which began in June this year. The Ikeja Electric is set to commence with the second phase of the project; the mass roll out of the meters. These meters are designed to enhance efficient energy usage and transparent billing in real time, he added

    According to him, the company aims to install 10,000 meters this month, and will be able to attain the peak monthly installation of 15,000 meters by December. He said the scope of the metering project is to deploy approximately 300,000 electric meters for Ikeja Electric’s residential, commercial and industrial customers between September 2015 and December 2016 in mapped out areas in all the Business Units of the Company.

    Ajifowobaje noted that Ikeja Electric’s Advanced Meter Infrastructure (AMI) is a state-of-the-art technology that enables utilities to read, disconnect and connect meters remotely and to detect individual customer outages quickly using a wireless communications network. The metering project will replace today’s meters with “next generation” electronic meter technology that improves customer service and enables customers to proactively manage their energy use and save money by giving them the power to control how much electricity they use against how much electricity they pay for.

    According to the Ikeja Electric chief, the scope of the metering project is to deploy approximately 300,000 electric meters for Ikeja Electric’s residential, commercial and industrial customers between September 2015 and December 2016 with installation of about 12,000 meters monthly in already mapped out areas in all the Business Units of the Company. With the metering project, the issue of estimation will be totally eradicated through improved billing. The customers will also be able to track the usage of electricity and eliminate energy wastage, he said.

    To also improve quality of service, Ikeja Electric has started Customer Enumeration, Technical Audit and Asset Mapping (CETAAM) project across its network .The project is slated to run from October 2015 to April, 2016.

    The project will involve mapping the location of each of the electrical network entities from the 132KV/33KV and 11KV systems to the distribution transformers and poles.  Ajifowobaje said: “It is going to be a thorough project that will ensure a solid foundation for efficient, equitable and transparent power supply to the esteemed customers of Ikeja Electric.

  • Waiting for efficient, affordable internet services

    Waiting for efficient, affordable internet services

    Access to internet has defining impact on countries’ gross domestic product (GDP). This is because it destroys fetters, such as distance, race, colour and others. Though the mobile network operators (MNOs) have tried to close

    Three Nigerian journalists  travelled to Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa for a three-day international conference. During the conference, they had no problems sending their stories and pictures from the venue of the event to their media houses in Lagos.

    “As soon as I finished doing my story and click the attach icon on my gmail address book, it pops up and gives me options from where to attach pictures. I click my desktop and press attach. It attaches in the speed of electricity, regardless of the size. As soon as I click on the send icon, it disappears too and show ‘message sent’ immediately,” one of them said.

    Back home, at a forum held at the Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos, reporters made futile efforts to file  their stories to their offices located within the metropolis. Virtually all the modems of the MNOs were used but to no avail. Instead of displaying 3G which most of them claim is the technology on which their services are being rolled out, it is either WCDMA, EDGE or HSPA that was displayed. Then will come several hours of waiting just for the page to load.

    If internet experience in an urban area such as Lagos could leave such a sour taste, it could only be imagined what it is going to be like in the rural areas of the country where there are 447 local government areas. After more than a decade after the telecoms sector liberalisation that ushered in the telecoms revolution, a lot of rural communities are still largely “disenfranchised”.

    The story everywhere, from Calabar to Kano, Bauchi to Bayelsa, Abakaliki to Bornu, is the same. Not even in cities such as Abuja and Port Harcourt is the story different. Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa with a population of over 168 million people as at 2012 according to the World Bank. Population has grown at a rate of 2.3 per cent for each year from 2000 to 2013. Nigeria is a country with a largely youthful population with 60 per cent approximately under age of 22.

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said in line with these demographic changes, internet penetration has increased from less than 0.1 per cent in 2001 to about 32 per cent in 2012. The 2012 National ICT policy placed broadband internet penetration for both mobile and fixed broadband at about 6.1 per cent.

    The Federal Government launched the National Broadband Plan (NBP) which set very ambitious targets to be met within specific time-lines. Under the plan, fixed broadband targets for cities (which is currently standing at 1.5per cent) expected to go up to 10 per cent in 2015 in the short term, 16 per cent medium term of 2018 and long term target of 25 per cent by 2020. Penetration level which stands at 0.5per cent, will move up gradually to 3.3 per cent, 5.3 per cent and 8.3 per cent respectively

    For national broadband targets, current level is 35 per cent while short term target is 60 per cent (2015). For medium term (2018), 80 per cent is targeted while 95 per cent is targeted by 2020 as long term target.

    Penetration currently is six per cent. It is expected to go up steeply to 21 per cent, 42 per cent and 48 per cent respectively.

    But the road to achieving this target is laced with thorns as frequencies that are supposed to be freed to boost internet penetration are not available yet.

    Director, Regulatory Affairs and Special Projects, Airtel Nigeria Osondu Nwokoro who spoke at an ICT forum in Lagos, said the launch of the National Broadband Plan (NPB), 2013-2018 by the Federal Government is consistent with developments in other parts of the world, adding that it is a step in the right direction and showed government’s commitment to pursue a broadband agenda for the country.

    Nwokoro defined broadband as the easier, faster, and high speed internet access for data transmission and download, compared to traditional telephone and modem. Broadband supports real time internet radio, music, video, gaming, interactive services and others.

    He said with six per cent broadband penetration in the country, there is both a challenge and an opportunity to meet the goal of realising a five-fold increase in broadband penetration by 2017.

    According to him, the Broadband Commission for Digital Development charges that “access to broadband infrastructure and services must therefore be a top policy priority for countries around the globe, developed and developing alike as well as least developed countries,” adding that commission urges “governments and business to work together to develop innovative policy frameworks, business models and financing arrangements needed to facilitate growth in access to broadband worldwide

    Speaking on impact on the economy, he said wireless broadband is expected to contribute an additional N190billion to gross domestic product (GDP) in 2015 while wireless broadband will have a direct revenue impact (spend on usage and devices) of N598billon or 0.7 per cent of GDP this year.

    He added that its ecosystem value will be N124billion comprising consumer retail (m-commerce; m-Entertainment), financial services (m-banking), social services (m-learning, m-health, and m-governance) and corporate verticals (m-farming, m-enterprises, m-utilities).

    Head, Core Network Services, Cyberspace Network Limited, Osuere Peter said broadband is the totality that forms the entity for faster information delivery across a network. This network could either be digital subscriber line (DSL), fiber-optic, cable modem, satellite, wireless and broadband over power lines (BPL).

    He said internet and mobile banking: customers could now carry on banking transaction activities via their fixed and mobile devices while e-commerce sites such as Konga, Jumia, Olx have also emerged.

    It has also led to the provision of public services like driver-license application, international passport, national ID card registration and the general e-government solutions, adding that the implementation of regulatory framework and policies to promote electronic transaction such as the Cashless Policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

     

    Daunting hurdles

    The Nigerian Broadband technology infrastructure has grown up to an appreciable level in some very specific places and at different degrees.

    Nwokoro said fixed infrastructure is not available in Nigeria and the cost and burden to put same in place is daunting. Wireless is the only viable option for broadband penetration.

    Another challenge is paucity of spectrum. According to him, NBP acknowledges the need for spectrum for mobile broadband and proposes to publish plan for freeing up spectrum for LTE rollout this year, conduct licensing of 2.5/2.6GHz spectrum in 2014 and facilitate accelerated wireless infrastructure expansion and upgrade with operators.

    Another issue is that of right of way (RoW) permits and other planning approval processes and associated charges between different ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) at federal, state & local levels remain a strong disincentive for infrastructure development.

    Though NBP proposes to secure RoW waivers with states and also pursue expedited RoWs. achieving this goal between the three tiers of government remains a daunting challenge.

    Device ownership and access points which are key to adoption and utilisation are also key challenges.

    “NBP proposes to challenge original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to produce sub $30 access devices to reduce cost of ownership and thus facilitate uptake by the broader subscriber base.

    “NBP also proposes to deploy local access points (in NIPOST premises and local government, headquarters to facilitate access within 2km for people who cannot afford own access devices,” Nwokoro said, adding that in spite of all the promises of the market size in the country, major OEMs are unwilling to site assembly plants for device manufacture, on account of unstable electricity supply, intellectual property rights issues and challenges in the business environment.

     

    Solutions

    Mandate should be given to the National Frequency Management Council (NFMC) to articulate a spectrum roadmap to address timely availability, cost-effective pricing and licensing of the 700/800 MHz Digital Dividend spectrum band to support mobile broadband penetration.

    Another is resuscitation of the NFMC and expansion of its membership to incorporate private sector representation.

    Nwokoro said consideration should be given to the 900 MHz and 2.5/2.6 GHz spectrum re-farming to support mobile broadband on LTE while spectrum policy and regulation to support flexibility while supporting regional integration.

    the gap, there is still a long way to go as access cost remains punitive while service quality is patchy, reports LUCAS AJANAKU.

  • ‘How efficient port system can boost business’

    Is the implementation of the new cargo clearance and documentation procedure known as Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) meeting the expectations of members of the organised private sector (OPS)? At a dialogue, experts and stakeholders from the public and the private sectors highlighted the challenges facing operators through the system. Assist. Editors Chikodi Okereocha and Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie  report.

    For members of the organised private sector (OPS), particularly those who interface with the portss, the fear of gridlock at the nation’s ports is the beginning of wisdom.

    Because of the chaos at the ports caused by persistent  congestion, most members of the OPS, cut across the Nigeria Association of Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines & Agriculture (NACCIMA), and Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), have been counting their losses.

    Some members of NACCIMA, whose shops and businesses are located in and around Apapa, Lagos, The Nation learnt, have been forced to close shop due to congestion and lack of access to their offices. For them therefore, the one-day national dialogue on ‘Unlocking Shipping Gridlocks at the Ports: Stakeholders’ Initiative’ held in Lagos, could not have come at a more auspicious time.

    For one, the dialogue organised by NACCIMA in continuation of its advocacy role, brought together relevant stakeholders from the public and private sectors to brainstorm and proffer solutions to the challenges faced by importers and exporters at the ports, particularly in the wake of the recent introduction of Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). It was a response to complaints by the OPS, most of who say the new clearing procedure has been a pain in the neck due to alleged shoddy implementation.

    The PAAR, a new customs’ clearing procedure, was introduced in December last year, replacing the Risk Assessment Report (RAR) previously issued by former service providers. The new regime essentially sought to change the customs clearing procedure from analogue to electronic for speed, efficiency and cost-effectiveness. However, seven months down the line, the new procedure may have failed to meet the expectations of members of the OPS, especially those in the import/export business.

    For instance, the Chairman of the Export Group of NACCIMA Mr. Oluyenuwo Olabisi has long been lamenting that congestion and long queues of vehicles at the ports arising from poor implementation of the PAAR regime is taking a huge toll on their businesses.

    He said containers laden with export products are sometimes turned back due to long queues, leading to huge losses  as  products  loose their freshness  and cannot meet internationally accepted standards  for exports.

    Olabisi is not alone in his frustration over the situation at the ports. The Chief Executive of Harlink Investment Limited, Alhaji Liadi Nofiu, who is into the exportation of produce is also screaming blue murder. Lamenting the unbridled corruption at the ports despite the PAAR, he noted that exporters can only get their containers into the ports in preparation for exportation after one form of extortion or the other.

    He called on the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to check corruption at the ports, which he said is affecting export business.

    The new customs clearance procedure also left sour taste in the mouths of clearing agents. Earlier, clearing agents under the auspices of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA) petitioned President Goodluck Jonathan over what they called ‘challenges associated with the issuance of PAAR by the NCS.’

    In the petition signed by its National President, Mr. Lucky Amiwero, the customs agents said PAAR is supposed to be issued before the arrival  of goods, but that in most cases, it was issued weeks and months after the arrival of goods at the port. This, he said, negates the objective of the establishment of the PAAR regime and drastically slow down the activities of clearance that necessitates the build ups and tension at the ports.

    Amiwero noted that the process of the issuance of PAAR has become associated with delays that resulted to the payment of huge demurrage to shipping companies and rent to terminal operators by importers and agents. He said it takes between 20 and 48 days before Customs is able to generate PAAR on a consignment. “The economic impact is high cost of clearance and delays, which will eventually lead to possible  closure of most factories due to inability to access the available stocks from the Ports,” he said.

    He further pointed out that most goods in the port have no PAAR to clear them, which is why they accumulate huge demurrage and rent.

    According to him, this is what forces importers to look for alternative through diversion of cargoes to neighbouring West African ports to reduce delay and cost, which is detrimental to the economy.

    “In a bid to reduce the time by Nigeria Customs in the issuance of PAAR, most PAAR issued could not be transmitted into Customs server, which stalls procedure for normal clearance process thereby constituting delays that attract demurrage and rent,” he said.

    That is not all. Amiwero also said most PAAR issued are with lots of discrepancies without resolution mechanisms put in place to address them, especially with the centralisation of PAAR process in Abuja.

    “The PAAR issued against the pre-release goods are now generating tension as most PAAR have a lot of discrepancy,” he stated in the letter, copied to the Minister of Finance/Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim and former Acting Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mrs. Sarah Alade.

    However, going by the quality of submissions and recommendations by experts and stakeholders who were resource persons at the  event, participants are expectant that most of the lapses in the implementation of PAAR would be resolved.

    And when this happens, the thinking is that this would help achieve the objective of the National Export Strategy (NES), which essentially provides the blueprint for competitiveness and development of the country’s export sector. Anchored in strong public-private dialogue, the blueprint strengthens the links between export development and socio-economic growth, which was why the NACCIMA dialogue was seen as a welcome intervention.

    It could not have been otherwise considering the observation made by the Coordinator of Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders (SNFF), Chief (Dr.) Osita Chukwu who lamented that when PAAR was introduced, it was as if the challenges have been overtaken. Unfortunately, the system, he said, failed. He identified some of the challenges as issuance and renewal of licences to agents, revocation of licences of agents when there are issues without proper investigation, etc. He therefore, advised that the process of renewal of licence needs to be properly and fairly handled.

    The shoddy implementation of PAAR has also not gone down well with the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF). Its Deputy National President, Mr. Ugochukwu Nnadi observed that part of the impediment to the smooth operation of the new regime is that “there is too much incentive for shipping companies, which encourages them to delay release of goods so that demurrage can be charged.” This, he said, explains why  the 21 days life line for shippers is not strictly adhered to.

    He identified other hurdles in the smooth running of the ports to include the enactment of new laws without abrogation of the old ones, which usually causes confusion that leads to delay in consignment, corruption at the exit gate due to sharp practices by port users, incessant breakdown of Customs server, which disrupts operations, ineffective use of E-transaction. The Freight Forwarders insisted that this must be reinforced. Mr. M. O. Oyebola, who represented the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), noted that the gridlocks in the ports are caused by ships’ congestion at the port approaches and harbour, congestion of cargo at the terminals, congestion of vehicular traffic at the port gates and port approaches, including human traffic congestion at port gates and processing points. He said activities of all the major actors in the shipping business contribute to the gridlock in one way or the other, whether NCS, shipping agents/companies, ports and terminal operators, regulatory agencies, freight forwarders,  banks, shippers, etc.

    Oyebola, however, pointed out that the greatest contributing factor to the shipping gridlock is the human factor, which cuts across all the actors in the shipping business. Said he: “Some bad eggs in the organisations critical to cargo clearance fail to respect the rules of engagement in the business of shipping. Such individuals are averse to the deployment and use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), which reduces human contact to the minimum. He concluded that the gridlock in the port industry must be unlocked in order not to strangulate the nation’s economy.” For Amiwero, the nation’s inadequate infrastructure particularly at the ports must be addressed. The National President of NCMDLCA said NPA has a lot of role to play to reduce the gridlock by utilising some part of the money collected to develop the ports and upgrade the infrastructures. “All charges at the ports must be attached to services and this has been the bane of the infrastructural decay at the ports.

    The essence of port reform is to improve efficiency and eliminate congestion,” he argued, listing some of the major challenges at the ports to include delay in scanning of goods, no holding bay, rickety trucks, and PAAR operation, which has the effect of Nigerian cargoes being diverted to other ports.

    The National President, Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), Chief Remi Ogungbemi, aligns with Amiwero on the need to address infrastructure deficiency at the ports. As he observed, the volume of transaction at the ports has increased, and there must be infrastructural development to compliment it.

    “As long as the roads are bad, there will continue to be rickety trucks. No owner will want to buy a new truck that will get spoilt on bad roads. Truck terminals have been identified but there is need for a political will on the part of the government for it to see the light of the day,” he said, noting that space is a major factor and as at today there is no befitting bay or park. “Parking of truck on the road is not good but the truck owners have no choice,” he added.

    Olabisi could not agree less. He said, for instance, that since the creation of the Lagos Port about 37 years ago, there has not been an additional port. He observed that a structure had been put upon the old rail line that connects it to the port and all that need to be done is to remove the structure and link the rail line to Iddo Terminal, which is less than 100 kilometres. “This will enable some of the goods to pass through the rail line and reduce the traffic on the roads,” he said, adding that another practical solution to the congestion is for the tank farms to go and for the Snake Island to be developed into a major port.

    The President, Shippers Association, Lagos State, Jonathan Nicole said there is need for Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to be used to access cargoes from their 36 regional offices across the world while an electronic system of manifest be introduced for use at the ports by Customs and shipping agents.

  • Niger Insurance assures of efficient services

    Policyholders of Niger Insurance PLC have been assured of full compensation should the need arise.

    In a statement, its Managing Director Mr Kola Adedeji, stated that the firm’s primary business is to satisfy its customers.

    Adedeji, who acknowledged that the level of disposable income in the country was low, pointed out that with the population of the country in excess of 160 million, there exists huge insurance potential.

    He stressed the company’s resolve to ensure prompt payment of benefits to policyholders, the reason for opening a dedicated account for claims and commission payment to prevent undue delays in claims administration and settlement.

    He said the underwriting company was being reengineered for better services and more innovative products, which would better meet the needs of the insuring public and endear insurance to them.

    He noted that though the organisation has ensured that its customers were properly catered for, it focuses more on the need for customers to know their specific needs, meet those needs and surpass clients’ expectation.

    He said: “The company is striving to ensure that more members of the public embraced insurance culture while concerted efforts are being made to enlighten them so they would know what they stand to benefit by patronising the insurance industry.

    “A building was devoted to the agency operations of the company so that people can have access to insurance products and services offered by the insurance firm wherever they might be in the country.”

     

    In order to ensure financial stability and exude confidence in its services to customers, the firm has also put in place reinsurance treaties with local and foreign reinsurance companies led by Swiss Re, he said.

    Established in 1962, Niger Insurance is fully computerised with the most advanced software technology, the statement added.