NPA plans stricter licensing procedures for barge operators

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Hadiza Usman, has said that the agency will adopt stricter licensing procedures for barge operations on the country’s waterways.

Usman, who said this during a virtual meeting with Maritime Journalists Association in Apapa, Lagos State, reiterated that the measure would go a long way to ease the traffic situation in Apapa.

She added that the new licensing would help to smoothen the rough edges of barge operation.

“NPA says it is going to adopt stricter licensing procedure for barge operations in the nation’s waters. There will be new licensing for 2021 to smoothen the rough edges of barge operation, to have a more robust way of going about it.

“This is a way of stemming the inherent abuses the sector has been subjected to by stakeholders recently.”

The NPA boss, however, decried the inability of shipping companies to provide stacking bays for empty containers, even after collecting container deposits.

“Shipping companies should take charge of picking and transporting empty containers from their holding bays to their terminals.

“The challenges with empty containers have continued unabated. The shipping companies have been making a lot of money off the agents. In 2011, the NPA tried to enforce that, but the shipping companies found a way around it. This time around, we must ensure they obey laid down order,” she added.

Anozie Egole
Anozie Egole
Anozie Egole is a Transport correspondent. He reports Maritime, Aviation and Rail/Road Transport for Financial Street.

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