SIFAX’s TEUs performance drops

Due to the traffic congestion around Lagos State ports, SIFAX group recorded a drop in performance of Twenty-foot Equivalent Units in 2020 compared to 2019.

The Executive Director, SIFAX Off Dock, Ibraheem Olugbade, stated on Monday that the terminal recorded 49,835 TEUs for the 2020 business year, compared to 2019 when the off docks grossed 50,452 TEUs.

SIFAX off dock operations comprise terminals at Trinity, Mid-Maritime, Okota 1 and 2, all in Lagos.

According to him, of the total container volumes achieved, Trinity had 13,109 TEUs for containers gated-in and 12,468 TEUs for containers gated out as against 19,014 gated in and 20,369 gated out in 2019.

His words, “SIFAX-Mid Maritime Terminal witnessed an increase in its 2020 TEU volume. It recorded 6,062 TEUs and 6,517 TEUs for containers gated in and out respectively as against 2,609 TEUs and 1,727 TEUs recorded in 2019.

“Okota Terminal 1 recorded 2,195 and 2,147 TEUs for gated in and gated out containers in 2020 as against 3,096 and 3,137 in 2019 while Terminal 2’s 2020 performance shows increase of 3,596 and 3,351 for containers gated in and out compared to its 2019 performance of 364 TEUs gated in and 136 TEUs gated out.”

On the strategies to boost activities at the terminal in the year 2021, Olugbade said, “To mitigate the effect of the road construction on SIFAX Mid-Maritime, we have begun dredging the waterside of the terminal and erecting exit security gate in preparation for berthing of barges at the terminal.

“In addition, the off docks at Okota are also receiving boxes at the terminals through transfer by barges. Parts of the terminal floor have been renovated and strengthened to cope with more volumes. There have been several market drives with several shipping lines to take advantage of the new initiative and proximity to the major express road, and to also use as holding bays for their empties in line with Nigerian Ports Authority’s call-up system regime.”