Nigeria’s newly commissioned Lekki Deep Seaport, Lagos.

About 17 years after the completion of the privatisation/concession of Nigeria’s seaports in 2006, many port users still expect the Nigerian Ports Authority NPA, to perform its pre-concession roles. In this report, FRANCIS EZEM seeks to examine the current roles of the NPA in terms of port and cargo operations in the new seaport dispensation in Nigeria.

Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999 after several years of military rule, which also marked the advent of 4th republic. It is unarguable that the most remarkable development in the life of the country’s seaport industry is the port reform of 2006 embarked upon by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The port reform of 2006 in no small helped to reposition and transform Nigeria’s seaports for competitiveness and efficiency in order to compete favourably with its contemporaries in the African region and indeed the rest of the world.

In achieving the aforementioned milestone, the Federal Government adopted the Landlord model of port concession, which ceded cargo handling operations to private terminal operators while the Authority retained the responsibility of providing Marine Services.

The policy of port concession stemmed from the desire of the then federal government to infuse private sector efficiency into the port value chain by embracing Public-Private Sector Partnership PPP as a model of global business approach.

Mohammed Bello-Koko, the man driving the new reforms, giant strides in NPA.

The port concession programme transformed the operational functions of the NPA to a more of technical regulation with core responsibilities of providing and maintaining common user facilities such port internal roads, illumination, dredging, buoyage, pilotage, towage and another technical enablers of safe navigation, in addition to exercising regulatory oversight on terminal operators.

However, it appears there is a limited public understanding of the roles of NPA in the new port order given the dominant perception that everything about the ports rests on NPA, when in actual facts there are other government agencies such as the Nigeria Customs Service and others including security agencies, whose roles affect port efficiency and operations.

For instance, the external access roads which are of key importance to the evacuation of cargo to and from the ports are under the management of the Federal Ministry of Works, waterways security is the responsibility of Marine Police, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy, electricity is under the purview of the relevant Electricity Distribution Company DISCOs and most recently, the appointment of the Nigerian Shippers Council as the economic regulator of the ports.

While the Authority has undergone a reform process that radically changed its processes and procedures, most of the other agencies of government are yet to effect similar reforms. These lack of changes at the same pace, has huge implications for port operations.

In a recent interview, a maritime expert Nwachukwu Kelechi clarified that “contrary to misconceptions and false narratives in a section of the media, the NPA is solely responsible for the development and maintenance of port access roads within the port and not roads outside the seaports. Maintenance and development of access to the hinterlands of the country is the responsibility of the government. “

 NPA Management Exceptional Performance

However, stakeholders have continued to commend the current management of NPA for commendably executing its statutory roles and responsibilities.

For instance, the NPA was recently commended for its role in strengthening the security architecture at the ports.

According to the European Union, the current management has taken its role seriously by reducing vulnerabilities, risks and increased skills and vigilance at the ports

The EU through Nico Vertogen, said: “there is huge improvement in Nigeria’s port security architecture and that was very reassuring for us to notice. But, there can always be improvement, do more training but in general, the situation is good.”

“It was a very detailed needs assessment results because we need to understand how security and safety is organised at the Lagos Ports Complex, Apapa and the Tin Can Island Ports Complex, also in Apapa, which constitute a detailed training programme that was tailor-made, especially for security where we have international certification,” he also said.

Port users especially clearing agents also applauded the NPA management for keying into the core responsibilities and roles of the agency.

An importer, James Akinwale, while speaking in the same vein, noted that as part of measures to improve ease of doing business at the ports, the Mohammed Bello Koko-led management team approved the licensing of 10 Export Processing Terminals (EPT) to facilitate seamless export cargo evacuation out of the nation’s seaports.

“Licensing of 10 Export Processing Terminals to facilitate exports at Nigerian Sea Ports is to provide a one-stop- shop for export where quality control, cargo assessment by all government agencies and issuance of good-to-ship clearance will be obtained. This has led to a significant reduction in truck turn-around time due to successful implementation of the Electronic-Call Up System” Akinwale stated.

Further checks also revealed that the current management’s enforcement of Minimum Safety Standards on trucks accessing the ports has led to significant reduction in the number of accidents recorded on the port corridor.

Another Clearing agent, Chukwuka Ayam stated that: “Enforcement of Minimum Safety Standards on trucks which stipulates that all trucks accessing the seaports must be inspected, certified and issued compliance identification to ensure safety, has resulted in at least 65 per cent reduction in the number of accidents recorded, arising from improved standards of trucks operating within the port premises.”

 NPA’s partnership with International Maritime Organisation

The NPA has also engaged the International Maritime Organisation IMO, on the development of Port Community System for the automation and digitalisation of the port processes. An official of the NPA who pleaded anonymity remarked that “the current management has engaged with the IMO on development of Port Community System. This is pursuant to the IMO instrument on automation and digitalisation of port processes. The Bello-Koko led management has also, awarded the consultancy for the deployment of Vessel Traffic Service VTS; a maritime safety measure that equips with Domain Awareness Capability to enable us guide and provide safety information to vessels within our channels and ports approaches in line with the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) conventions,” the NPA official added.

Speaking further on the landmark achievements of the Bello Koko-led management he said, “On the critical front of trade facilitation/ease of doing business/employment generation, the NPA management under the firm and focused guidance of Koko created new businesses and attendant job opportunities such as the barge operations services which besides reducing pressure on the roads have grown into a N2 billion annual generation business both from direct investment and accompanying externalities.

“Bello Koko has also covered remarkable grounds in the crucial maritime benchmarks such as improved navigational aids, enhanced port security, engineering infrastructure/operational capacity, strengthening and enhancing employee welfare as well as training/industrial harmony “, he said.

“Procurement and deployment of Security Patrol Boats (SPBs) to all Pilotage Districts to address incessant attacks of vessels along the channels and at Ports’ waterfronts, his management considerably enhanced port security. He also adroitly established a robust partnership with the EU-funded West and Central Africa Ports Security (WeCAPS) towards risk prevention, vulnerability assessment of port infrastructure, skills acquisition to port personnel to strengthen the security and safety of the Nigerian Ports.

Leading the advocacy against extortion along the port access corridors

Worried by the increasing acts of extortion by hoodlums and miscreants along port access road, Mohammed Bello Koko is personally leading the advocacy to eliminate illegal check points where these atrocities are perpetrated through intensified collaborations with security agencies.

As if to confirm the effectiveness of these collaborations, last week the Lagos State Police Command arrested 15 hoodlums, three Police officers, one official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency LASTMA and one Federal Road Safety Corps FRSC personnel caught aiding and abetting extortion. This is coming on the heels of the reception at the NPA headquarters of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Idowu Owohunwa, during which Bello- Koko enlisted the Commissioner’s support to frontally tackle the menace of corruption, which according to Bello-Koko is “doing reputational damage to Nigeria, given that the ports access roads are international business corridor”.

“Those are not all. He established a standing partnership with the Navy, Nigerian Army to in addition to combating illegal checkpoints along the port corridor make traffic management more effective. There was the standardisation of operational procedures for different activities such as barging, private jetties, pilotage, vessel berthing/sailing, which represents another positive of his leadership, “he added.

He further stated, “Significant reduction in the traffic gridlock along the main Port corridor and the internal access roads through enforcements, proper batching, continuous access control mechanisms and movement of cargo via barge operations are others.

“On the engineering infrastructure/Operational Capacity Strengthening front, Koko initiated the creation of Forcados Signal Station to enable the Authority capture the movement of more Service Boats and the commencement and completion of bathymetric Survey for the dredging of Escravos Channels.”

An understanding of the roles, functions and powers the extant laws of the country vest on the NPA is necessary in giving an objective assessment of the Authority’s performance at every given time.