The Council for the Regulation of Freight forwarding in Nigeria ( CRFFN ) has called for the modernization of the Terminal Operation for efficiency of the port.
The Committee Chairman, Research and International Liason,Council for the Regulation of Freight forwarding in Nigeria ( CRFFN ), Chief Increase Uche made the call while addressing maritime journalists on the achievements of the Committee under one year during a Round Table meeting organised by the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria ( MARAN )in Lagos.
He said the Committee discovered that such modernization was yet to be seen, stressing that if the modernization had taken its place , there wouldn’t be congestion at the port as well as pilling of eventry in the port terminals, cargo delay including loading, delivery and full automation of their system.
“We have made enquiry into some of these areas and we have seen the lapses that the terminals needs to be improved upon.
“Now look at the entire Shipping sector, today the size of vessel used in moving containers is increasing . The volume of cargo being moved par hall by a vessel is increasing every day but port facility still remain the same which is a very big gap. That is exactly what is happening here that with this kind of terminal and the batch area that can never take bigger vessels, there is no way the port can become competitive. So reducing the cost of doing business cannot be seen until modernization of model that can guarantee that is put in place.
According to him, the Committee had also made a proposal to the Board, having gone round the whole ports, visited private jetties in Nigeria, visited Bonded Terminals, ICDs, and made inquiries on other ICDS that had received approval for establishment that are yet to come on board.
On Shipping Companies operations ,Chief Uche explained that they have carried out some assessments to discover the areas that needs some improvements in the course of cargo release by the shipping companies as well considered the operations of the terminal operators and have submitted a comprehensive report, and a road map that would enable the Council to pursue vividly in getting a freight forwarding sub- sector, place on the right pedestal.
The CRFFN Committee Chairman further disclosed that his committee had proposed to make a comparative study in order to find out what is happening within the region,and to bring up a model comparably with what is happening in other developed nations like Singapore ports , ATWEP,South African Port, Asia and Uganda ports which surpassed Nigeria in terms of logistics performance index, which according to him has given the Committee a serious concern.
Aside from that, the committee also discovered there is a gap which had to do with creation of a professional arm of CRFFN that is yet to come on board to bring them to the level other professional body like ICAN, APAM, Pharmacists, Doctors, Engineers, operate adding that as soon as it is accepted, then the area of professionalising the practice has been achieved.
