NCS, Lekki port promise efficient, seamless cargo evacuation
THE Nigeria Customs Service ( NCS) and the management of Lekki Port and Lekki Freeport Terminal have assured maritime stakeholders of improved turnaround time for cargo evacuation, efficiency and seamless port operations.
They made the assurance during the 2024 roadshow organised by Lekki Port and Lekki Freeport Terminal in conjunction with the NCS in Lagos recently.
The Chief Operating Officer of Lekki Port, Laurence Smith, said the port is a game changer that would revolutionise the maritime sector in Nigeria and West Africa, given the sophisticated equipment and facilities available.
He stated that the roadshow was an opportunity to inform potential port users of the ease of doing business in the port.
Also speaking, the Customs Area Controller, Lekki Area Command, Mohammed Babandede, stated that the NCS is committed to providing its support to guarantee the efficiency of the terminal operations at the port.
According to Babandede, members of the customs command have been fully trained and equipped to manage operations to ensure quick evacuation of cargo.
On his part, the Chief Operating Officer of Lekki Freeport Terminal, Dirk Van Acker, explained that customers stand to benefit a lot by using the deep seaport with the largest carrying capacity as it can handle 1.2 million twenty- foot equivalent units ( TEU) throughput and a terminal that delivers best- in- class service to cargo owners.
The Chief Commercial Officer of Lekki Freeport Terminal, Kehinde OlubiNeye, described the efficiency of the terminal concerning shipment delivery with the turnaround time for cargo taking less than one hour, while dwell time at the truck park is not more than 10 days.
Making his contribution, the Deputy Chief Operating Officer of Lekki Port, Daniel Odibe, highlighted the significance of the port beyond its status as the deepest seaport in West Africa to the use of technology, which has limited human interface in its process of cargo clearance and evaluation.