Nigeria is said to be losing an estimated $15billion annually due to congestion and other maritime related issues at the nation’s seaport.
This is despite port users complaining about the growing refuse dump on Apapa port access roads recently repaired by Dangote Group.
The major bottlenecks at the port largely known as gridlock, multiple taxation, cargo diversion, delays and slow cargo delivery, high demurrage charges, cumbersome clearance processes and procedures, high business failure, have arguably led to revenue losses by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
According to Amodu Adewale, a maritime expert based in the United Kingdom, Nigeria loses about $15 billion per year due to port congestion and other numerous challenges such as extortion, unreliable technology application, lack of transparency and predictability, and non-implementation of 24-hour port operations.
According to him, the African Centre for Supply Chain (ACSC) practitioners also recently confirmed that the nation’s Gross Domestic Gross (GDP) is negatively affected by over $14.2 billion annual losses due to congestion and others at the Nigerian ports.
He said the hydra -headed challenges, now seen by many as normal routine requires a well detailed review to immediate resolution strategies.
However, he said the port access roads have been neglected by Federal Government agencies having been taken over by refuse.
“Today in place of its glorious past, distraught residents, traders and trailer drivers have turned nearly all access roads leading to Tin Can Island ports complex and Apapa Wharf into refuse dumpsites.
“This is the road that was just newly reconstructed by Dangote Group. From Cele down to Tin Can Port, you see all manners of refuse dumped along the road. At the long stretch, refuse will have adverse effects on the road because the heat and the chemical coming out of the refuse will weaken the road and will eventually lead to its collapse,” he warned.
Meanwhile, the National President of National Council of Managing Director of Licenced Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Lucky Amiwero said that the issue of bottlenecks in the port has been there for years, saying until the Federal Government reorganise the sector not politically but professionally; the bottlenecks will ease.
According to him, bottlenecks are trade facilitation that are not being complied with, which has to do with so many Government agencies in the port.
“When we are talking about bottlenecks, it is a procedure how things move from place to place and the various agencies who are in contact with cargoes and the cost of doing business, all those things are bottlenecks, which I cannot explain. They are too numerous and complex in Nigeria port that need to be addressed. If you want to facilitate trade, you have to comply with the trade procedure, and which is not done in this part of the country,” he added.
He said the issue of refuse and dustbin is the Nigerian Ports Authority’s (NPA) responsibility, saying it is not anybody’s responsibility to pack those refuse along the Port access road because port access roads are roads that are confined to NPA.
“I have said this thing several times, it is not Lagos State, it is a port access road because NPA are collecting fees from that port and they are people to ensure that the road leading to the port must be cleared.
“The road is an eyesore because it is the responsibility of NPA, not Lagos State Government because it is a port access road. Unless, NPA is giving its responsibility to the Lagos State Government and that should be clearly defined. But once it is port access roads, it is the duty of NPA to make sure that those roads are cleared and to make the place traffic easy,” he said.