Executive Vice Chairman of the SIFAX Group, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi

BY FRANCIS EZEM

The SIFAX Group-led consortium, Ocean and Cargo Terminal Services Limited, has emerged the preferred bidder for the Terminal B of the Old Warri Port.

This was one of the outcomes of the well -attended meeting organised by the Bureau of Public Enterprise BPE in Abuja, which held at its conference room. The SIFAX Consortium beat other bidders to emerge the preferred bidder of the port.

The five participating companies are Marine Infrastructure Consortium, Bright Ocean Integrated Services Limited, Ecomarine Consortium, Ocean and Cargo Terminal Services Limited and Neon Warri Ports Consortium. At the end of the evaluation of the technical proposals, Ecomarine Consortium and Ocean and Cargo Terminal Services Limited’s financial bids were qualified for the financial bid opening stage.

In attendance at the event were representatives of the National Council for Privatisation NCP, the BPE, the Nigerian Ports Authority NPA, Infrastructural Concession Regulatory Commission ICRC, among others.

Recall that the Expression of Interest for the port was advertised in 2014. At the expiration of the deadline for the submission of the EOIs, 13 applications were received.  Out of the 13 applications, seven were pre-qualified and out of these pre-qualified bidders, five were able to submit their technical and financial proposals on January 31, 2017, the deadline for submission of the proposals.

After the open transparent competitive bid process which is in line with international best practices, Ocean and Cargo Terminal Services Limited was declared the concessionaire of Terminal B, Old Warrri Port. The concession is for a period of 25 years.

Speaking shortly after the outcome of the bid was made public, Executive Vice Chairman, SIFAX Group, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, expressed his appreciation to both the BPE and NCP for the transparent exercise, adding that the Warri Port Terminal will enjoy the same Midas touch that has now become the hallmark of SIFAX Group’s businesses.

“This is great news for us as a company to have led this consortium to win this very competitive bid. While we are glad that we have emerged the preferred bidder, we are not unaware of the enormous responsibility this victory has conferred on us. However, it is a familiar territory for us having operated the Terminal C at the Tin Can Island Port, Lagos successfully in the last 12 years. We will fall back on the experience and expertise we have developed running the terminal to make a difference at the Warri Port”, Affolabi said.

Meanwhile, Group Managing Director of the SIFAX Group, John Jenkins, while speaking on the new development, said the company, which is noted for its adherence to international best practice, will set new standards with the management of the new terminal.

He said: “BPE, NPA and other relevant government agencies should look forward to an efficient port management system when we formally take over the control of the terminal while the clients are in for an unparalleled customer-focused service delivery that will put them at the heart of our operations.”

The SIFAX Group is a fully diversified multinational with interest in several segments of the economy including maritime and shipping, oil and gas and aviation, among others.