NPA, Customs collaboration yielding dividends – MD, NPA, Bello-Koko

Segun Oladipupo

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The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello-Koko said that the collaboration between the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and NPA has led to reduced cargo dwell time in the port

He said this at the World Customs Day celebration held on Friday, 26th January, 2024.

Bello-Koko adjudged that maximising the opportunities inherent in Nigeria’s littoral assets as a maritime nation, rests heavily on the collaboration.

The theme of this International Customs Day 2024 is “Engaging Traditional & New Partners with Purpose”

The NPA boss said that the theme of this year’s WCD was one that delighted the Nigerian Ports Authority as traditional partners of the Nigerian Customs.

“We are already recording gains from our renewed collaboration with the Nigerian Customs, which has led to noticeable reduced cargo dwell time and ship waiting time which has already decongestion of the Ports.

“This collaboration also gives fillip to our commitment to the deployment of the Port Community System (PCS) which the NPA has propelled to the final phase of consultancy under the technical guidance of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

“The PCS is germane to promoting efficiency and making our ports competitive as it lays the groundwork for the National Single Window.

“Our commitment to positioning the Lekki Deep Seaport as transhipment hub to service the maritime needs of our landlocked neighbors will also benefit greatly from this collaboration

“This alignment of vision between NPA and Nigerian Customs portends great fortune for trade facilitation and national prosperity.

“Maximizing the opportunities inherent in our littoral assets as a maritime nation rests heavily on this collaboration.

“I therefore wish to commend and appreciate the CG and his team for this new direction and assure everyone of our unwavering commitment at NPA to this noble objective,” he submitted.