Ag. MD, NPA, Mohammed Bello-Koko

Acting Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority NPA, Mohammed Bello- Koko, has assured that the platform for the truck electronic call-up system also called ‘Eto’ is not compromised and that it is working in perfect condition, contrary to insinuations to the contrary.

The MD, who spoke in Lagos at the weekend, also disclosed that the gridlock in Apapa, especially the Ijora corridor has been eliminated by over 80per cent, insisting that as soon as the rehabilitation works on the road networks around the Apapa-Mile2 corridor, especially the Cocoa Nut axis were completed, gridlock in Apapa would be a thing of the past.

Bello-Koko, who assumed office about five months ago, foreclosed the idea of compromising the ‘Eto’ platform, saying that his first major assignment on assumption of duty was to undertake a comprehensive review of the systems to fortify its operations by upgrading the infrastructure.

According to him: “The ‘Eto’ truck booking system was launched in February 2021, and when I assumed office few months later, my first assignment was to carry out a comprehensive review of the system and we directed the system manager to immediately address all areas of deficiencies, which encompassed infrastructure upgrades.  With these infrastructure upgrades coupled with the support of the Lagos State Government and other stakeholders, the vehicular gridlock along the Ijora – Apapa axis had reduced by over 80 percent and am sure residents of Apapa can attest to this”, he added.

He insists that there are evidences to prove that the deployment of the electronic call -up system has to a very large extent resolved the endemic Apapa vehicular gridlock, even as the authority keeps reviewing and improving the systems.

“The Nigerian Ports Authority is not unmindful of the pains of Apapa residents, what remains is to address the gridlock caused by the failed portions along the Mile 2 – Tin-Can Port Road, as soon as the entire stretch of the Tin-Can Port Highway is completed, the perennial gridlock within Apapa would be completely eliminated. After this, we will fully deploy the ‘Eto’ call-up infrastructure for trucks along the Tin-Can Port corridor, he also assured.

He further disclosed that the authority has fully embraced multimodal transport system by encouraging better use of barges and port-rail, for the movement of laden and empty containers in and out of the ports, a development that has brought significant reduction in the cost of doing business at the ports.

According to him, as part of efforts to kick-off the electronic call up system, a fully automated transit truck park was established while 29 satellite parks were approved to ensure that trucks coming to do business in the port are properly profiled and verified before accessing the port. Out of the 29 parks, about eight have met the required standards, which include installation of bollards, CCTVs, automated gate systems and relevant IT equipment.

He noted that apart from few isolated cases, where some truck drivers try to subvert the system by not adhering strictly to the truck manifest arrangement with its attendant disruption, the e-call up has been able to streamline cargo evacuation and truck movements, thereby bringing a level of sanity to the roads.

He equally attributed the elimination of the Apapa gridlock to the new policy introduced by the Authority, which compelled shipping lines to ship out no less than 80 percent of the number of containers shipped in, for every voyage be it empty containers or export cargo.

He said: “over time, we discovered that most shipping lines were storing their empty containers in Nigeria, which was cheaper for them, but we have introduced a policy whereby shipping companies should to take back 80 percent of the laden containers they brought into the country from the stock of empties and export cargo, this has also reduced the number of trucks with empty containers waiting on the roads.

What this meant in a lay man’s language is that if a vessel brings 100 containers for instance, such vessel must take back 80 containers, which must be among the empties and export containers, without which she would not be allowed to sail out of the ports”.

The NPA boss declared that a total of 80,000 trucks have so far registered on the ‘Eto’ platform, however only 16,000 trucks have met the minimum safety standards, which is an indication, that more work is needed to enthrone safety and prevent accidents within the port area, he remarked.

There will be continuous improvement of ETO system including the deployment of additional physical and IT infrastructure as well as grant approval for more transit parks to cushion the excruciating pains of truckers he noted.

The authority had also embarked on what he called ‘operation green’ through which all illegal structures and shanties on port access roads in Apapa were cleared, the move formed part of efforts to free flow of traffic in the area.

Shedding more light on the provision of the barge services to ease movement of cargo out of the seaports, the NPA Managing Director said barge operators are now being guided by the revised standard operating procedures (SOP) in order to ensure efficient and safe barge operations. He stressed that owners of barges must comply with the new safety guidelines if they wish to do business at the port.

He said: “when we approved the use of the barges, we soon discovered that many of them (operators) did not have radio communication equipment onboard and we directed them to install the equipment. We also insist that these barges must be sea worthy before they are allowed to sail so as to forestall a situation where they breakdown at the middle of the channel, which would cause massive disruptions to shipping.

“We are also developing an electronic call-up system for the barges, just like what we have for the trucks on the roads so as to ensure that we streamline their operations. There is a department in the NPA charged with the responsibility. In the last few weeks, we have also received proposals for the deployment of very large self-propelled barges, we are being careful, but we are studying all that, the PPP Unit of NPA is working on that”, he revealed.

He assured that as soon as all these lofty projects are completed and operational, Nigeria’s projection towards emerging the hub port within the Sub-Saharan African region would have almost been achieved, as these projects would make the ports more efficient and globally competitive as well as user-friendly with the attendant reduction in cost of doing business.