FOR Nigerian ports to be highly efficient, the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), has urged government and private sector alike to embrace the concept of smart ports in line with international best practices.
The Executive Secretary, NSC, Hassan Bello who made this call during a sensitization workshop in Lagos, stressed the need for the immediate adoption of e-commerce, especially the digitalization of the port for Nigeria to achieve an efficient and vibrant port system.
Bello spoke at a workshop with the theme: ”Trade Facilitation during the COVID-19 Pandemic Challenges, Lessons and the Way forward”.
He said: “It is pertinent to emphasize that the gaps experienced during this Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated the need for the adoption of e-commerce in the country especially the digitalization of the port in order to reduce human-to-human contact, adopt and paper-based transactions as the norms for international trade interface and port Operations.
“The government and private sector alike need to embrace the concept of “smart ports” in line with the international best practice,” he said.
Rolling out the lessons learnt during the pandemic, Bello said
Nigeria must be proactive in the preparation for an unexpected eventuality.
He called attention to the extra importance of the shipping, towering far above the aviation, noting that while the world rested aviation over the fear of COVID 19, it could not afford to rest the global shipping sector.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it is common knowledge that the Covid-19 pandemic has brought an unprecedented disruption to international trade and the global economy at large, as world production and consumption were scaled back across the globe. To combat the global health crisis, the role of international trade cannot be underestimated.
“During the lockdown, there was the compelling need to move medicine and nutrition across the globe in order to save lives and livelihoods of the populace. It is in recognition of the essential role of international trade in combating the pandemic that the ships were scheduled to continue to move, the ports were kept open and all the port Agencies and port service providers were in place to ensure that cargo was processed and delivered to consignees,” he stated.
“The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in its efforts to strengthen international trade and transport during this pandemic released a 10 point action plan. This was contained in its policy brief No. 79 April 2020.
The 10-point action plan includes: Ensure uninterrupted shipping; Keep the ports open; Project international trade of critical goods and speed up customs clearance and trade facilitation; Facilitate cross-border transport to ensure free flow of goods across borders; Ensure the right of transit; Safeguard transparency and provision of up-to-date information; Go paperless. Electronic submissions and paperless transactions become ever more important in observing the physical/social distancing; among others.
Bello said: “The importance of these resolutions became visibly clear locally in Nigeria at the height of the lockdown occasioned by the COVlD-19 pandemic. In the course of its daily monitoring exercise during that period, the NSC had observed that some shippers, through no fault of theirs are unable to take delivery of their cargo for a number of reasons.
He said the NSC immediately intervened, adding that; through NSC interventions, the CBN directed the Commercial Banks to open all branches within the port area to receive duty payments, confirm payments for bank drafts as well as online transfers and provide foreign exchange to shippers, shipping line, agents and terminals.
“Furthermore, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) direct the banks to provide foreign exchange to shipping companies to enable them fulfill their financial obligations to government agencies.
Shipping companies and terminals were asked to upgrade their online services to discourage human contact at all times, especially during the COVID-19.
“Freight forwarders were asked to patronize online platforms of the sipping companies and terminals such as the submission of documents, rotation number etc., and try to minimize as much as possible, physical presence at the terminals, banks and shipping company premises.
“NSC met with shipping companies and secured 100% demurrage waiver during the period of COVID-19 lockdown from 30″‘ March to 4‘“ May, 2020.
“The Council also met with truckers and secured a 30% reduction in haulage cost across the board;
“Visited shipping companies and terminals to ensure compliance to safety guidelines on social distancing and personal hygiene as issued by health authorities.
“The NSC equally constituted a COVlD-l9 maritime task force to review port operation during the COVID-19 period and come up with remedial measures to fill identified gaps.
“The Council posted officers to designated shipping companies and terminals to monitor compliance to established safety guidelines as well as ensure prompt rendering of service to port users.
“The Council met with organized private sector to jointly review port operation and proffer solution for improved efficiency; Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) granted a free rent waiver during the lockdown,” he stated.
Bello affirmed the commitment of the Council to adopt the resolutions to be reached at the workshop, reiterating the Council’s determination to implement them in order to facilitate trade in line with the UNCTAD 10-point action plan.
