By Fidelis Ugbomeh
In aspiration to leverage on advantage of being a maritime nation, some experts in marine and blue economy have reasoned that Nigeria should jettison fragmented port operations for 24 hours port and logistics service.
They posited that Nigeria may not be able to reap from full potentials of establishing major/minor seaports including Lekki deep seaport in Lagos, if intermodal transport especially by rail mode is not connected to the seaports.
In two separate forums, stakeholders identified factors required to facilitate trade and enhance port operations as infrastructure, constant electricity supply/power station, security both day and night, digitalized operations, staff training and intermodal transportation.
According to them, the road blocks along the Lekki-Epe express road and Apapa/Tin-Can Island access roads have continued to create bottlenecks and unnecessary delays caused by overzealous security operatives thus making the use of rail mode s better alternative particularly at night.
Statistics of goods conveyed by Nigerian Railway Corporation, showed that 68,110 tons of cargo were moved by rail in the last quarter of 2024 representing the cargoes that served destinations within inland dry ports in Lagos on both narrow and standard gauge railway lines.
The corporation’s management led by Dr. Kayode Opeifa also promised to resuscitate the suspended long distance freight train service on narrow gauge from Lagos to Kano as well as the eastern railway corridor while freight on standard gauge can readily be moved from Lagos to Ibadan.
Speaking at fifth edition of Journalng town hall meeting with theme: “24 hours port operations,” held in Lagos recently, Chairman Nigerian Ports Authority Consultative Council, Bolaji Sunmola said the 68,110 tons of goods moved by rail in the last quarter of 2024 was grossly inadequate going by the increase in number of goods awaiting carriage at the terminals.
He attributed 85% of delays in clearance of goods at the ports to limited operational hours which is not in line with global best practice adding that for Nigeria to leverage on its maritime advantage it must have 24-hour port operations.
Mr. Eric Umezurike, managing director, First Rit Nigeria Limited noted that the railway is safest and fastest mode of evacuating goods from the ports on land as issue of insecurity may not arise at night.
He stated further that “since staff of NRC, NPA , and port health offer 24-hour service, all that needs to be done is for terminal operators/shipping companies to assure NRC that containers are readily available so that wagons will be designated to convey the containers to inland dry ports within Lagos”.
Deputy operating manager, Lekki deep seaport, Dan Odibe pointed out that the President Bola Tinubu has approved construction of a rail line linking the Lekki free trade zone including the seaport and airport terminal.
He disclosed that discussions are still ongoing with the relevant government and private organisations with a view to commence work on the $3billion rail project linking the Lekki deep sea port terminal from Marina.
Odibe described rail and road access as entrenched in the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway plan as important components of the Lekki deep seaport that would enhance seamless movement of goods in and out of the port.
He said that management of the deep seaport also use barges to move consignments to the waterside for offliading into trucks for onward movement by road to their various destinations.
President, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, (MWUN) comrade Francis Buni in his contribution welcomed the aspiration of stakeholders calling for provision of port infrastructure, lighting and security in order to attain 24 hours port operations.
He however harped on need to pay adequate attention to renumeration and training of personnel saddled with responsibility to provide service.
Also speaking, former vice president, Association of Nigeria Licence Custom Agents (ANLCA) Dr. Kayode Farinto decried the investment of $1.5billion in the construction of the Lekki deep seaport without construction of rail line alongside.
He said that non construction of railway line linking Lekki deep seaport is already de-marketing the port with security operatives creating road blocks along the Lekki-Epe express road.
Farinto who was speaking at a breakfast meeting organised by Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) on: “Navigating Nigeria-Peoples Republic of China Currency Swap,” cautioned that freight forwarders will soon boycott the port if nothing is done to address the problem of logistics urgently.
The port manager, Lagos port complex, Mr. Lawal Ibrahim restated that Nigerian ports operates 24 hours round the clock in the provision of pilotage, security and berthing of vessels but that the banks and terminal operators don’t operate at night.
He averred that modalities should be worked out with the relevant private and government agencies like banks, freight forwarders, NCS, truckers, barge operators amongst others for the processing of documents through a single window that all parties can access.