Ongoing port reforms and increased efficiency championed by the Customs Area Controller, Tin Can Island Port (TCIP), Comptroller Dera Nnadi mni, has led to economic buoyancy and the establishment of six new bonded terminals to compliment the port activities.
Recall that TCIP introduced nighttime and weekend operations following Nnadi’s emergence as Area Controller, even as more port efficiency has been accrued from the launch of Time Release Studies (TRS) which created an enabling environment for the establishment of the new bonded terminals.
Comptroller Dera Nnadi mini, revealed this during a recent press briefing where he extolled the collaborative efforts of stakeholders at the port and appreciated the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, for providing inspiring leadership.
Nnadi, who also doubles as Chairman of TRS, expressed delight at the significant improvement at the port following the implementation of the TRS which is a World Customs Organization (WCO) trade facilitation tool at Tin Can.
His words: “The TCIP Customs Command has received increased support from stakeholders from September 20th, 2023 when I arrived as Controller to date. Since I resumed here, six new bonded terminals have opened up in Tin-can Port Command. That is an indication that stakeholders have come to embrace the reforms that we have instituted in Tin Can.”
He observed that with the Time Release Study, being conducted at the port, more efficiency and speedy operations will be recorded; while he seized the opportunity to beckon on all stakeholders to kindly support the effort which is aimed at measuring the time it takes to take delivery of cargo from the ship side where cargo is dropped, until it enters the owners warehouse.
“It is a WCO supported program that will further help to optimize service delivery in our seaports and in our business process. Permit me to also this opportunity to thank all our stakeholders that have been joining us in various meetings that we have been holding in the Tin Can Island Port Command as part of our effort to further improve service delivery to our numerous clients,” the Customs boss said.
Nnadi expressed optimism that the success stories at the port will soon trigger higher exports volumes as recent meetings have been held with terminal operators, shipping lines, freight agents, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), among other stakeholders to solve the port corridor challenges.
“Let me use this opportunity to thank NPA and the Lagos State Government and some of you media houses here that helped to collaborate with us in highlighting the challenges that we faced on the port corridor access routes leading from Mile 2 to Tin Can.”
“As some of you may have witnessed, the road has been cleared of all the trucks that hitherto forced all of us to drive against traffic. This is something that we must all celebrate as a nation. Bearing in mind that since 2017, that particular side of the road has not been in use. This new development is something that we must all commend, even as we work together to sustain it,” the Area Controller remarked.
