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By Isaac Anumihe
THE Federal Government has directed that a 40-feet container load of tilapia fish confiscated by the Apapa Area Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) be donated to the internally-displaced persons (IDPs) in Yobe State.
To this end, the container terminal operator, APM Terminals Apapa Limited, has waived handling and storage charges running into several millions of naira on the container of fish.
The Federal Government, also directed that the commodity be released to the Nigeria Army Corps of Supply and Transport (NACST) for onward delivery to Yobe State for the use of the IDPs.
According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), an Internally Displaced Person (IDP) is someone who is forced to flee his or her home but who remains within his or her country’s borders.
More than 40 million people have become displaced worldwide within their own countries as a result of violence, with majority of the new displacements occurring in Nigeria, South Sudan, Syria, Democratic Republic of Congo and Iraq.
When contacted, the Managing Director of APM Terminals Apapa, Mr. Martin Jacob, said APM Terminals is always willing to support the host government in any country it operates in bringing succour to its citizens as a way of giving back.
Jacob also said that APM Terminals is supporting the Nigerian government’s food export drive through the provision of modern cold chain transportation alternatives for farmers in the agricultural centres of northern Nigeria to bring fresh produce intact and unspoiled to market centres in Lagos.
He said the initiative could save an estimated 15 million metric tons of perishable goods, such as onions, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, okra, ginger and carrots, which are lost annually due to poor infrastructure and high transportation costs. APM Terminals Apapa, is the largest container facility by capacity serving Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city and business centre. It is also the largest container terminal operation in West Africa, having doubled container traffic after concession began in 2006, with dramatically improved productivity.
A $350 million investment and expansion programme was announced for APM Terminals Apapa since 2006.
