The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has partnered with the presidential enabling business environment council (PEBEC) to reduce cargo dwell time at Nigerian ports.
This was disclosed in a statement by NPA’s spokesperson, Ikechukwu Onyemekara, on Monday.
Cargo dwell time, according to the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), is the time between vessel arrival and container exit from the port facilities. The current cargo dwell-time in Nigerian seaports is reportedly around 21 days, a period the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NCS) has described as “unacceptable”.
The council had said it is targeting a reduction to the regional average of seven days, matching what neighbouring ports like Cotonou have achieved.
The NPA-PEBEC collaboration, which also involves the ports and customs efficiency committee (PCEC) under the business environment enhancement programme accelerator (BEEPA), includes a three-day high-level stakeholder engagement in Lagos.
The engagement, themed ‘Achieving a 7-Day Cargo Dwell Time’, is also expected to streamline port processes to boost the ease of doing business.
