Vincent Toritseju
19 September 2018, Sweetcrude, Lagos — The Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA and the Guangzhou Ports Authority of China yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, to establish a Sister port relationship and the sharing of best practices and expertise in port operations.
The MoU, according to the Managing Director of the NPA, Ms. Hadiza Bala Usman also seek expertise in port operation management, strengthen communication and cooperation on investment and promote innovative technology and personnel development.
The MoU will see effective logistics, trade, and information coming into play so as to enhance port capacity for the service of the regional economy on a non-committal basis.
The thirteen parts MoU which is for two years and renewable every based on mutual agreement by both parties.
The MoU will also see parties establishing training programmes for management staff and technical specialists and launch a planned exchange of management staff of each other.
The MoU was signed in Abuja by NPA Managing Director, Hadiza Bala Usman and the Deputy Director-General of Guangzhou Port Authority, Yuan Yue, at the ongoing meeting of International Association for Ports and Harbours (IAPH).
Also, the MoU is designed to enhance Port capacity for the service of the regional economy on a non-committal basis.
Under the arrangement, the parties shall cooperate with each other especially in the areas of logistics, Port industries, Port Culture and will endeavor to support each other to open a representative office where necessary in furtherance of the objective of the MoU.
Part of the MoU read: “The parties will contribute jointly towards the advancement of Green Port development and cooperation on port environment protection, energy-saving, and emission reduction.
“The parties will establish an information exchange mechanism to regularly update each other on new development and popularise the application of information technology at the ports.
“The parties will establish training programmes for management staff and technical specialists and planned exchanges for management staff of each other.
“Friendly exchanges should be carried out in the general areas of expertise such as loading and unloading mechanism and equipment, electrical facilities, safety, engineering, information technology applications as well as exchanges of talent required in the implementations of this MoU, learning from each other and working together for mutual benefits”.
