Executive Order: NPA Begins Implementation of Single Interface Examination of Cargoes

Rising from a meeting of the Implementation Committee on the Executive Orders recently issued by the acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman has ordered the immediate implementation of single interface examination point for cargoes at all the nation’s ports.

This, she said, was in conformity with the Executive Order 22.

The NPA boss stated that with the take-off of the policy, all agencies of government that are required to operate and domicile in the ports, would embark on their activities in the designated locations only.

In line with the executive order, Bala Usman declared that there will be no other form of examination outside of that single interface.

She stated: “Every agency will develop its backend office operations to streamline what it requires to support any historical structure it may have, but no agency should operate outside that interface at any of our port terminals.

“All agencies of government that are not domiciled in the ports but are required to provide services should liaise with the lead agency on the modalities to perform their operations when they are required.”

She reaffirmed that: “Only the NPA, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Department of State Services (DSS), Port Health, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigeria Police, which were part of the presidential approval in 2011, are permitted to domicile within the ports. All other agencies must come in only when they are required.”

Bala-Usman expressed the gratitude of the management of the NPA to all government agencies and stakeholders who have collaborated with the Authority to ensure the implementation of Executive Order 22 ahead of deadline.

She assured that the doors of the Authority are open to receive suggestions or complaints about challenges that are encountered in the implementation of the policy.

The NPA boss also solicited the continued support of all stakeholders toward repositioning port operations in Nigeria, even as she called on stakeholders in the maritime sub sector to collaborate amongst each other with the view to sustaining the Presidential Order on Port Operations.

Bala Usman disclosed that the NPA has put in place effective machinery to comprehensively review the progress and challenges associated with the actualisation of the executive order.

She enjoined agencies in the maritime sub sector to make information sharing a pivotal part of activities whilst collaborating with each other.

Specifically, she said: “There is need to improve efficiency, we need to work hand in hand together, we have to improve efficiency of our ports. We need to work united as a team towards success across the industry. It is about the greatness of our dear country Nigeria. Let us work together to make our ports competitive in the sector and in the sub region.”

She urged on all and sundry to be up and doing so the road to total adherence to the tenets of the Executive Order on Port Operations would be devoid of encumbrances.

Bala Usman also presented the joint stakeholders committee report on the implementation of the Executive Order on Port Operations through the window of “ease of doing business” on the nation’s sea ports.