Barring any last minute change, all processes in the Nigerian port will soon become automated to make for easy facilitation of transactions and checkmating fraudulent practices in the maritime sector.
The President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan revealed this in Lagos, last week.
Speaking on behalf of the President, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the president on Maritime Affairs, Mr. Leke Oyewole said “Within the next two or three months, the processes of automation should be up and running” adding that automation had to deal with linking of agencies within an organisation to work together and effectively.
“When you talk about automation, some people do not still know what it is, it means linking the entire procedures in an agency together. The President had directed that we should automate all agencies in the Maritime Sector and link them together, the customs, and the Concessionaires, Nigeria Ports Authority, Shippers Council, Truck drivers etc,” he stated.
Continuing, he said, “You can stay in the comfort of your home without going to anybody or anywhere and clear your goods, even instruct a truck to go and carry a particular cargo and drop it somewhere without even appearing in the port, this is done in some other places and it is also possible in Nigeria. We have commenced discussion on that and also how we can sustain it”.
He further stated that manual operations and lack of synergy between the agencies in the Maritime Sector had made the Nigerian Port one of the most expensive in the world but with the coming of automation, the trend would stop.
Mr. Olugbenga also commented on the effort of fake and substandard products in the country when he said that “It has led to the closure of many companies, it has led to unemployment and has done many havoc to our national life, and automation will greatly reduce that”.
