Ag. MD NPA, Mohammed Bello-Koko

Acting Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority NPA, Mohammed Bello Koko has said that with the deployment of infrastructure under the Electronic Call-Up system for trucks, code named ‘Eto’ the authority has been able to eliminate the erstwhile perennial Apapa gridlock, which crippled economic activities in the area for over a decade by more than 80 per cent.

The Managing Director also disclosed that the authority is currently promoting multi-modal transport systems through the use of barges for the movement of cargo in and out of the ports, a development that has tremendously reduced congestion at most terminals, thereby improving ports efficiency.

Speaking on a television interview, monitored at the weekend in Lagos, the acting MD also disclosed that the little remnants of the gridlock on some of the port access roads were as a result of the hiccups occasioned by the very poor state of the Tin Can Port-Mile2 corridor, insisting that as soon as the road construction was completed, the gridlock would be completely eliminated.

He disclosed that due to the deployment of infrastructure under the e-call up system, traffic on the Apapa-Ijora axis has been verifiably reduced by over 80per cent but regretted that the poor state of the road networks on the Tin Can, Cocoa Nut –Mile 2 axis, most of which are going through various stages of reconstructions, the Eto Infrastructure has not been deployed in the area.

According to him, as part of efforts to kick-off the electronic call up system, about 29 truck parks were developed across Lagos State with the collaboration of relevant stakeholders including the Lagos State Government, saying that out of the 29, about eight have fully deployed the Eto Infrastructure, which include automated gating systems and other Information Technology 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 trucks manifest requirement, which causes hiccups, the e-call up has been able to streamline cargo evacuation and truck movements, thereby bringing a level of sanity to the roads.

He also attributed the disappearance of the Apapa gridlock to the new policy introduced by the NPA, which compelled shipping lines to take at least to take 80per cent of the loaded containers that they came with for every voyage in terms of empty containers and 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 introduced the policy whereby shipping companies were directed to take back 80per cent of the loaded containers they brought to the country from the stock of empties and export cargo, which also reduced the number of trucks laden with empty containers that were 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”.

It was also gathered that while there are a total of 80, 000 on the Eto platform, only 16, 000 have met the minimum Standards Operating Procedure SOP, which is an indication, that more work was needed to perfect every operating system.

The authority had also embarked on what it called ‘operation green’ through which it cleared all illegal structures and shanties on port access roads in Apapa, which before now inhibited free flow of traffic in the area.

On the deployment of barges for ease of movement of cargo out of the seaports, the MD further disclosed that some barge operators have been licensed by the authority in order to ensure effective and safe operation, saying that regulatory framework has also been developed, which looks into the state of the barges being deployed.

He said: “When we approved the deployment of the barges, we soon discovered that many of them did not have communication equipment and we directed them to install such 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 channels, which would cause disruptions.

“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 regulation. In the last few weeks, we have also received proposals on the deployment of larger barges, we are being careful, but we are studying all that, the PPP unit of NPA is working on that.”