From left: Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, His Excellency Adegboyega Oyetola CON, Secretary-General International Port Community System Association IPCSA, Mr. Nico De Cauwer Arthur and Managing Director /CEO, Nigerian Ports Authority, Mohammed Bello-Koko during the formal presentation of the Report for Port Community System PCS in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.

The Federal Government of Nigeria, represented by the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, His Excellency Adegboyega Oyetola CON, Tuesday February 13, 2024 in Abuja, formally received the consultant’s report for the implementation of Nigeria’s Port Community System from the Nigerian Ports Authority NPA, and the International Port Community Systems Association IPCSA.

The primary objective of the PCS is to enable the country comply with the provisions of the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic FAL of the International Maritime Organisation IMO, whose main objectives are to prevent unnecessary delays in maritime traffic, aid cooperation between governments, and to secure the highest practicable degree of uniformity in formalities and other trade procedures.

Under the FAL Convention of April 2019, it is mandatory for ships and ports to exchange FAL declarations electronically preparatory to the enforcement of the single window approach in 2024.

Speaking during the event, Oyetola said: “on behalf Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and indeed the Government of Nigeria, I will like to register our profound delight on this milestone step towards implementation of the Port Community System PCS in Nigeria, which is geared towards positioning the good people of Nigeria to reap the benefits of global trade.

“I would like to commend the current management of the Nigerian Ports Authority under the leadership of Mohammed Bello- Koko for the tenacity of purpose and foresight to enlist the technical guidance of the IMO, which led to the appointment of a consultant in 2022 and whose relentless drive propelled us to the milestone point we gathered here to witness today.

“Realising the importance of the implementation of the PCS on the fulfilment of the overarching objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda, Mr. President, His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR included the implementation of the Port Community System as a Key Performance Indicator for the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy under the Presidential Performance Bond I signed as Minister.”

It was gathered that the submission of the consultant’s report is a culmination of the intensified synergy between the NPA and the IMO, under whose technical guidance this milestone was recorded.

Speaking during the occasion, Managing Director/CEO Nigerian Ports Authority, Mohammed Bello- Koko said: “Cognizant of the self-evident fact that automation remains the most sustainable path to making our ports competitive, we were duty- bound to infuse greater vigour into the implementation of the PCS, which by its operational dynamics, eliminates all forms of human interface and attendant delays that undermine the efficiency of our ports.

“So we intensified our synergy with the International Maritime Organisation IMO for the technical guidance necessary to actualise the PCS, which actually lays the groundwork for the implementation of the National Single Window.

“Our efforts paid off, and by May 2022 we had the first in-country visit of the IMO consultants, by August 2023, we had contracted the International Port Community Systems Association IPCSA to provide the “Consultancy Services for Technical Assistance in the Development of Port Community System for PCS for Nigeria.”

The Managing Director further assured the Minister that the management of the NPA under his watch has all it takes to ensure the diligence, determination and discipline required to make the implementation this project of national importance a reality”

Recall that the NPA Managing Director had recently sought and secured the buy-in of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR for the implementation of the PCS.

These developments signpost better days ahead for ease of doing business and trade facilitation in Nigeria.