Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, Hadiza Bala Usman is a guest speaker at the annual conference of Women in Logistics and Transport Nigeria (WiLAT).

Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, Hadiza Bala Usman is a guest speaker at the annual conference of Women in Logistics and Transport Nigeria (WiLAT).

The Managing Director has delivered a paper on the Federal Government Executive Order on Ease of Doing Business at the Ports, Its Challenges and Sustainability.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE ORDER ON EASE OF DOING BUSINESSES AT THE PORTS, ITS CHALLENGES AND SUSTAINABILITY - BEING A PAPER DELIVERED BY THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF NIGERIAN PORTS AUTHORITY, HADIZA BALA USMAN ON THE OCCASION OF 2017  WOMEN IN LOGISTICS AND TRANSPORT (WILAT) CONFERENCE HELD ON THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 28 2017 AT ORIENTAL HOTEL LEKKI, LAGOS.

PROTOCOL

I am highly honored to deliver this paper on this auspicious occasion of the 2017 WILAT conference.

After the concession of 2006, private investments were brought to Nigerian seaports because there was a need for the following:

• To reduce the cost of port services
• To increase the efficiency of port operations
• To boost economic activities and accelerate development
• To reduce the outflow of funds from limited government resources
The measure of port efficiency is derived from level of service delivery, customer satisfaction and visible multiplier effect of value added services on the industry and national economy. Hence the key performance indicators of ports are globally acknowledged to be

i. Ship waiting time
ii. Ship’s time in port or at berth
iii. Ship turn-round time
iiii. Cargo dwell time
v. Cargo throughput
vi. Channels and quay depth
vii. Equipment and craft availability
viii. Port community network
ix. Ease of doing business
On its quest to deliver on its mandate of availing an efficient port system that is internationally acceptable Government has taken a giant stride towards improving efficiency at the ports through the introduction of an Executive Order 001 2017 on Ease of doing Business in the Ports.

The order came as a result of increasing service failure in all MDAs to the extent that customers (ie service takers) are grossly short-changed while accessing services because Service Level Agreement (SLA ) has either been undermined and or compromised.

Government took a swipe on some service failure flash points especially as concerns timeliness, transparency, touting, service delivery among others with a verdict that where there is service failure as a result of non respect of Service Level Agreement (which is like a contract between the servicer giver and a service taker), the later will be awarded the advantage except otherwise communicated to the service taker why the service may be delayed. The service giver that defaulted in giving such a service will be sanctioned in line with the condition of service of the organization.

Coincidentally, the current restructuring process on-going in the organization is in tandem with the Executive Order or perhaps wider in scope as the management of NPA before now had lunched Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in all ports and Terminals. SOP is our Service Level Agreement with all Port Stakeholders accessing our services. We have lunched an e-payment platform for all forms of payments to the Nation’s Seaports. This is to combat delays occasioned during verification of payments to the Ports. The management of the NPA understood the direct correlation between the levels of revenue collected by the Authority and her capacity to provide infrastructural facilities or fund other transformation initiatives that would engender economic growth within the ports environment and improve service delivery to our stakeholders. The benefits of the e-payment system include instant payment confirmation, faster & efficient service delivery, improved vessel turn-around time, cost reduction and identification and blockage of revenue leakages
The Authority also recorded success in other areas such as:

Improved operational efficiency of the ports and increase in cargo throughput, improved safety through wreck removal operations and installation of navigational systems, improved provision and maintenance of Port terminal infrastructure, improved towage and pilotage services to shift through third party agreements and higher availability of cargo handling equipment and capacity

Upon assumption of office, the present management saw the need to review the concession agreement in line with global best practices and to improve efficiency. These are to allow all parties to meet their various obligations with regard to provision of infrastructure, technological up-to-date equipment aimed at improving the efficiency of port operations.

In doing so, operators in the port industry were positioned to deliver by investing in the requisite up-to-date equipment that will improve efficient services competitively.

To further improve our service delivery efficiency to our customers and to give more bite to the Executive Order to ensure its implementation and sustainability, Management has carried out the following:

Establishment of implementation committee of the Executive Order, Installation of Gate Access Control, Establishment of new guidelines for issuance of Port Passes and Enforcement of on-duty tag for officers of Agencies operating at the port. Others include Meeting with heads of all agencies operating at the port for synergy, Establishment of single interface station, Establishment of dedicated export desk for agricultural produce by the Terminal operators

i. Provision of 24hrs of pilotage/berthing of vessels
ii. NPA personnel are presently working on shift to ensure 24hrs operation
iii. Terminal Operators are providing 24hrs Ship operations and delivery
iiii. Night illumination of Port environment
CHALLENGES TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF EXECUTIVE ORDER

i. Security challenges
ii. Challenges with cargo evacuation owing to poor access road
iii. Non-full compliance of Nigerian customs to the streamlined operating procedure for gate operations
iiii. Lack of truck holding Bay culminating in congestion of port access road.
Distinguished Ladies in Transport and Logistics, to ensure that the Authority lines up with the efforts of the present Administration in building a virile port industry, the challenges are being tackled headlong.

Already the Nigerian Ports Authority has accomplished the signing of MOU with Federal Ministry of Works and Housing for the reconstruction of wharf road Apapa .The project cost is put at 4.34Billion Naira and the NPA will contribute the sum of 1.829Billion Naira.

Currently construction works has commenced. Also in collaboration with NCS to introduce the much awaited Single Window Platform aimed at simplifying & harmonizing formalities, procedures and the related exchange of information & documents between the various partakers in a supply chain.

The issue of holding bays is also receiving attention as the authority plans to spearhead a collaboration effort with the Lagos State Government and private investors to establish an electronic call up system for trucks at designated holding bays.

The sustainability will depend on the resolve of the Federal Government in giving the Authority necessary backing in driving the process and also the support of all maritime stakeholders to make the needed sacrifice   for the future of the port industry

  I want to reassure you that Nigerian Ports Authority is committed to the realization of vision to make our ports the leading port in Africa. The future of Nigeria’s maritime environment offers a unique opportunity to deliver a world class service delivery. We shall continue to remain focused in making our operations seamless and in line with best international practices.

Thank you.