APMT poised to synergize with NSC to enhance port competitiveness

APM Terminals has promised to collaborate with the Nigerian Shippers' Council (NSC) for the growth of the port industry.

Its Regional Managing Director, Africa and Europe, Igor van den Essen, expressed the commitment of the global terminal operator to work with the NSC to enhance the competitiveness of the nation’s seaports.

APM Terminals are the operators of APM Terminals Apapa, West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) Onne and an inland container terminal in Kano.

Igor van den Essen, who visited the corporate head office of the Council in Lagos last week, emphasized the need for collaboration by all stakeholders to address the bottlenecks associated with cargo inspection and evacuation from the port.

According to him, APM Terminals is constantly looking for ways to improve on its processes to enhance service delivery to shipping lines, importers, exporters and agents.

He also said that functional rail lines are crucial to ease pressure on the roads in evacuation of cargo from the port.

“The rail for us is an extremely important initiative because it is a necessary addition to the traditional evacuation of cargoes by land. Rail will be cost-efficient for the shippers to move cargoes from the port and also into the port,” he said.

Essen said as a global terminal operator, his company has made substantial investments in Apapa, Onne and Kano.

He said with 65 ports in various parts of the world, APM Terminals operates at the highest level of standards and best practices at all its business units.

In his own speech, the Executive Secretary/CEO of NSC, Emmanuel Jime, represented by the Director, Regulatory Services, Ifeoma Ezedinma, said the council, as the economic regulator of the port, will continue to work with major stakeholders to actualise the Federal Government’s policy on the Ease of Doing Business.

On his part, NSC’s Director of Consumer Affairs, Cajetan Agu, said the council is proud of the standards set by APM Terminals at the port.

He stressed NSC's commitment to reducing the dwell time of cargo and cost of doing business at the port.

“Nigerian Shippers Council has been fair as regulator; fair and unbiased. We have always been independent in our decisions without coercion. We also listen to the stakeholders,” he said.

The APM Terminals’ Regional Managing Director was accompanied on the visit by the Country Managing Director, APM Terminals Nigeria, Frederik Klinke; General Manager, Legal and Corporate Affairs of APM Terminals Nigeria, Chinenye Miriam Deinde and the Government Relations Manager of APM Terminals Apapa, Kayode Olufemi Daniel.