In the countdown to the commencement of port operations at the Lekki Deep Seaport, a call has gone out that a special arrangement be made to accommodate a freight agents’ village in the complex.
The Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents(ANLCA) made the call, Wednesday, during a courtesy visit to the facility by the National Executive of the Association led by the Acting National President, Dr Kayode Farinto.
The visit was in continuation of the association’s collaboration with critical stakeholders in the maritime industry for a better working relationship.
The Acting National President of ANLCA, Dr. Farinto appealed to the port management to provide a “Freight Forwarders Village” for Customs brokers as obtained in other modern automated ports in the world.
He also stressed that the new port should be modeled after full automations as planned. No government agency, he explained, should be allowed to frustrate plans to fully automate the port processes as is being witnessed in the existing ports in Apapa and Tincan Island.
Receiving the ANLCA team, Daniel Odibe, Head of Regulation and Procurement said the Lekki Deep Seaport management is happy to receive the association. He referred
to ANLCA as a critical stakeholder in the port industry.
The port management took the ANLCA team to the port area where construction work is still in progress and showcased massive equipment acquired for the port operations expected to commence commercial operations in September.
On the movement of cargoes to and from the port when operation starts, Odibe observed that though the proposed construction of the rail linking the port is in the pipeline, in the meantime containers will be moved via barges and by road.
Odibe assured that the new seaport will be fully automated and will reduce human contact, even as he revealed that the seaport is concessioned for 45 years under Build Operate Transfer (BOT) basis.
The port, he explained, has three container berths, three liquid berths and one dry bulk berth terminal, and every activity is automated including the trucking system which will be operated by an electronic call-up system.
