The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello-Koko has expressed optimism that the country will achieve port automation and the necessary integration ahead of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) 2025 deadline set for member countries.
Bello-Koko who stated this in London where he is attending the 33rd session of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) General Assembly, said the planned port community system (PCS) by the authority is also geared towards supporting the nation’s economy to harvest more benefits from the blue economy.
He described the initiative as a game changer that will integrate all stakeholders within the maritime sector, promote the national economy and support the security of vessels, crew members and cargoes within the nation’s maritime domain.
The NPA boss who is on the entourage of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, added that the PCS will foster transparency, support ease of doing business and trade facilitation.
He explained some steps taken by the authority to set the PCS in motion ahead of the 2025 IMO deadline to include the development of automation-based processes.
Bello-Koko explained that before the introduction of the Electronic Ship Entry Notice (E-SEN), it took about two weeks from the time of application to the time of approval and issuance of the ship entry notice certification.
He said, however, since the introduction of electronic processing of ship entry notice, it takes about one hour for a function that used to take up to one or two weeks, depending on the idiosyncrasies of the man on the table and all the table the documents need to pass through.
Bello-Koko said the system will save the cost of doing business and make the nation’s ports trade-friendly by carrying out a function of two weeks in one hour and enhancing faster ship turnaround time.
He added that the NPA’s collaborative efforts with the IMO to achieve a world-class port community system are at an advanced stage and would soon migrate into implementation in line with global standards.
