Kunle Kalejaye 23 October 2015, Sweetcrude, Lagos – As part of efforts to enhance revenue generation from Nigeria’s seaports for the government, the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, and the Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, have agreed to strengthen ties and forge a more robust partnership.
Managing Director of NPA, Mallam Habib Abdullahi and the Comptroller General of NCS, Colonel Hammed Ali (rtd) agreed it was imperative for the two agencies to see themselves as “partners in progress”, working together for the good of the nation’s economy.
To achieved improved revenue generation from the nation’s seaports, both agencies said the creation of a conducive working environment that will be of mutual benefit to the management of the two organisations was required.
The NPA Managing Director, who commended the Customs Comptroller General for considering it fit to visit the corporate headquarters of his agency explained that as “Customs direct call ports”, the authority would ensure that there is high level of operational efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery at the nation’s ports.
Malam Habib, who revealed that since the commencement of the present concession regime in 2006, activities have increased in the ports with the terminal operators, added that with the greater cooperation between the Authority and NCS, the performance of the nation’s ports in areas of turnaround time of vessels and cargo delivery time would be substantially reduced with impact on the cost of doing business in the ports.
Earlier, the Comptroller General, Col Ali (rtd) had solicited the support and cooperation of the NPA to ensure improved performance of the revenue yielding agency of the Federal Government , emphasising that the service needed the support and cooperation of the Authority to enable it generate the necessary revenue for the national treasury as mandated by the President.
