By Chinonye Anyatonwu
The 100% Compliance team of the National Association Of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) have organized a two day workshop titled “Sustainable Synergy With The Customs, Shipping Companies, Terminal Operators and Freight Forwarders”.
The workshop which took place at the main hall of the Rockview Hotel Apapa, Lagos provided a veritable opportunity for the various participants to air their views and proffer solutions to the various challenges that are inimical to the efficient operations at the sea Ports .
The National coordinator of the 100% Compliance team, Alhaji Tanko Ibrahim in his opening remarks said the workshop was organised to settle the rift between freight forwarders, shipping companies and terminal operators.
He added that the workshop is also to curb the urge on the part of the freight forwarders not to embark on industrial action which he feared might be highjacked by miscreants.
In his opening speech, the chairman of the occasion, Dr. Eugene Nweke commended the organisers for putting together the workshop and opined that synergy is like a chain that pulls everybody together and that because there seems to be less synergy in the Ports environment, the need for this workshop became critical.
He said the workshop was meant to find ways of harmonising all the potentials to meet the well known objectives and that port as a security environment should always be seen to be meeting its purpose and objectives.
In his goodwill message, Remi Ogungbemire of the Association of Maritime Transport Owners(AMATO) thanked the organisers for their thoughtfulness in making the event come to reality.
Another speaker at the event, representing the port manager of the Tin Can Port, Mrs. Victoria Bola Adigun said that the port cannot run itself and so workshops like this are needed to create enabling atmosphere for every operators to put their tidings together.
In his paper presentation titled “Act to guard the economic characteristics of a port” Dr. Eugene Nweke opined that we must accept the fact that ports act as physical interchange for the trading community and as such, ports must act as efficient entities for the success of trade and to keep production at an optimal level”.
He said that the basic requirements for port efficiency should be put in place and that these include , a well organised container yard for storage, an efficient and accurate ship planning department to ensure proper stacking of containers, a computerised system for proper administration of the port, a highly trained workforce that work round the clock, a good road network, an efficient Customs system among others.
The representative of the Trucks Transit Park, the operators of the NPA/TTP transport software platform known as ETO were on hand for the two day duration of the event, as they enlightened stakeholders on their activities and how it has helped to curb the excess gridlock that had enveloped Apapa and environs for sometime.
