Daniel Terungwa 

The Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Hadiza Bala Usman has stated that NPA would introduce an electronic clearing system for cargoes to ease traffic gridlock at the port by January 2021.  

NPA boss made known when she accompanied the Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi on the inspection of port access roads in Lagos recently.

According to her, the agency is working with the Lagos State government to create truck parks in designated areas.

She said that the Lagos State government plans to give a designated truck park at Orile where trucks will park until their cargo is cleared electronically before they can proceed into the port.

“We are planning to deploy an E-call-up system in January 2021. We will provide an electronic call-up system within the Ports and designation truck parks. No more trucks parking randomly on the road, we are going to have a designated truck park; when you are called upon you can enter the Port.

“The electronic call-up system will be across all platforms on phones. You can monitor when the consignment arrives and when you have been assigned to pick up your cargo. The E-call up will also remove human intervention and eliminate corrupt practices.”

Bala-Usman noted that the only thing that would be needed for clearing is the barcode that would be scanned at the entrance of the port to enable them to enter the port.

The Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi on his part, promised to meet with all relevant government agencies on the traffic.

Amaechi stressed the need for an urgent solution to curb trucks blocking access roads to the ports towards the efficient clearing of goods with less human contact.

Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Hassan Bello, who was also on the inspection, said that the Council has tried to proffer a temporary solution to the gridlock at the Port.

He said that with the festive period a lot of goods are expected to be imported into the country which calls for urgent actions.