‘There’s No Hard Rule Which Agency Leads NSW Project’ – Dantsoho

BY EGUONO ODJEGBA

The Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho has said that there is no hard rule about the agency of government appointed to superintend the National Single Window (NSW) project which implementation was announced last week by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola CON.

Dantsoho who was speaking on Thursday in Lagos during an interactive session between the the Federal Ministry of Marine & Blue Economy (FMMBE) and the League of Maritime Editors (LOME) allayed stakeholders noting that different agencies are appointed to play leading roles in different government projects in different countries.

The NPA boss advised that what is important and the ultimate is the efficient coordination of the NSW through genuine cooperation and single mindedness of purpose by all concerned agencies of government.

Oyetola who had flagged off the commencement of the NSW earlier in the week, reaffirmed his conviction about the project capacity to rejuvenate operational processes and procedures that would lead to ease of doing business and achieve the expected overall cost efficiencies in ports trade service delivery.

“To further enhance trade facilitation, the government is implementing the National Single Window project. This digital platform will streamline trade compliance processes, link ports with relevant government agencies and stakeholders and create a seamless, efficient system. Complementing this initiative, the Ministry and NPA are finalizing the Port Community System, an electronic platform to centralize and automate processes among stakeholders in port services.”

To ensure that the required enabling atmosphere for the efficient implementation of the NSW project is provided, Oyetola announced plans to reduce the number of government agencies operating within the port premises to seven (7), in addition to rolling out a number of other initiatives design to bolster  the cause of the NSW in reducing port trade costs.

“The Ministry, through NPA is driving an agenda to deploy technology at the ports for enhance operational efficiency. This initiative includes the deployment of scanners by the Nigeria Customs Service to improve transparency at the ports; Vessel Tracking System; E-Regulatory Process Portal; International Cargo Tracking Note to boost revenue and guarantee security; and Truck Call Up System to reduce traffic congestion. All these initiatives are propelled by inter agency collaboration”, Oyetola said.

Shedding light on the similarity and coefficient application of the NSW and PCS together with its peculiar problems, Dantsoho said whereas it is immaterial under whose purview the NSW is domiciled, focus should be on the expected efficiencies the NSW is designed to provide.

According to Dantsoho, the immediate concern should be how to collectively knock down operational dynamics that runs contrary to the national objective of ease of doing business since the focus is mainly to eliminate challenges; some of which he explained have been addressed already.

His words: “Before I proceed with the issue of the port community system, I want to also say that it is important for Nigeria to modernize our ports because that is the only way we’re going to have a lot more cargo to Nigeria. If not, the bigger ships will be working in Lome and Cotonou and Ghana, and therefore we will see smaller vessels in Nigeria.

“If we are receiving vessels that are only carrying 4,000, 3,000 containers, then we are not going to be part of either the fourth generation ports or the fifth generation ports. Now, so the port system is also like the telephone. We have fourth generation. We have fifth generation. But that is a talk for another day. Now, on the issue of the port community system, I want to say in summary that it is something that is necessary for Nigeria to do, and we are working to achieve that. But like the person that mentioned about it, the challenges around the port community system are in summary, four.

“Number one and the most important challenge is government support because it requires that all the agencies of government, including private sector companies, must collaborate. So now that government support is what we are receiving today through our Excellency, the Minister…because without that, we cannot make progress which I think we have already surmounted 100%. We are working with him every day and every night to achieve that. So government support is there now. “Challenge number two is technology. So in the same manner that you can choose to use maybe the portable or you can choose to use the telephone, you can use the iPhone or you can use the Samsung, the idea of technology is also very important in achieving the port community system. So now, which technology do you take? Do you take the ocean technology? Do you take the service technology? Do you take the policy technology? And where do you get the money to fund it? So that’s number two challenge. So even that one, I think we are already reaching to the end of it, with the investment options”

However, Dr. Dantsoho was quick to point out like the Honourable Minister did earlier, that investment in the proposed technologies and key areas in capacity building is better done on a PPP arrangement; noting that the Authority does not have the financial muscle to drive the critical investments.

“So is it NPA that will invest the money? In any case, does NPA have the money to invest? Or is it the private sector that will invest the money? Then again, is it going to be a loan? Or is it going to be a gift? So investment is also another challenge that has been rubbing off on efficiencies all these years. So again, we are closing on that, because the government support is not only in the finance, but in the investment. So that’s challenge number three and that’s also going.

“So challenge number four, that’s final, is who is the lead agency? What that means is…you see, it’s about the platform, who is the agency that will now have it in its hands? Is it Nigerian Port Authority, like in most places around the world? Or is it Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), like in some other places around the world? Or is it Nigerian Shippers’ Council, like in many other places around the world? So these are basically, challenges that have to do with very strong leadership.

“So I think the answer is, which one is number one, is the whole community system. Now the whole community system, for example, in this day and age, we are all being marketed, we are being imported, we are operating in Tin Can, and we are all friends. We have the Minister, we have the CBA, we have the Minister of Finance, we have the Minister of Trade and Investment, and all of us are now going to work on that platform. So the entire board will collaborate and then it will be one central board.

Explaining the importance of interconnectivity in the ports trade value chain, Dantosho  said the NSW provides a comprehensive online platform for importers, exporters, commercial banks, carriers, customs, and other government agencies to play their individual roles seamlessly within the single portal.

“The NSW is a global best practice for trade facilitation, enabling the electronic exchange of information for over 500 million TEU movements and billions of tonnes of cargo annually. Its implementation is pivotal to deepening the competitiveness of Nigerian ports and ensuring greater benefits for Nigerians from global trade.”

He assured that the Authority has and remained on top of game in the area of automation which includes the PCS, as part of the port modernisation project.

“Our mission is to make Nigerian ports the leading transshipment hub in Africa and a transit point for landlocked countries. With 16 of the world’s 44 landlocked countries located in Africa, Nigeria has a unique opportunity to play a central role in regional trade.”