Edike Commended For His Vision, Leadership and Industry Partnership

Andrew Dawes, managing director of APM Terminals (APMT), Apapa Limited, has commended comptroller Charles Edike, area controller, Apapa command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), for his role in facilitating trade at the Lagos Port Complex, Apapa.

NIWA Apoints Transaction Adviser For Concessioning of Onitsha Port

The federal government through the National Inland Waterways Authority (Niwa) has appointed an Indian firm, Messrs Green Stratus Consulting as Transaction Adviser for the concessioning of the Onitsha river port.
Disclosing this to participants at the stakeholders’ conference, Transport Minister, Senator Idris Umar said that the Transaction Adviser is billed to meet with a Project Delivery team by mid-February to work out the modalities for facilitation of the concessioning process of the Onitsha River port.

The minister, who was represented by the Engr Nebolisa Emordi urged importers and other businessmen in the Eastern axis of the country to begin to tap into the potentials of the port with a view to reducing the cost of transporting their cargoes.

He explained that the initial process employed by Government to concession the port had to be canceled after that the World Bank met with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to re-design the process so as to accommodate other River ports across the country.
Explaining further, Emordi disclosed that out of the 19 firms that bid to be Transaction Adviser, only six were shortlisted for the bid and Green Stratus of India won the bid.

Emordi said “In view of t his, the World Bank in consultation with ICRC cancelled the initial process since an agreement has not been signed.

“It then initiated a Traffic Demand Study to determine the viability of the Onitsha River Port, this was concluded in 2012 and the findings showed that the Port is viable . Consequently, the ICRC in conjunction with the World Bank re-designed the PPP process which now includes the other ports under construction at Baro, Lokoja, and Oguta with each taking its turn on the PPP platform as soon as it is completed starting with the commissioned Onitsha port.

“The re-designed process entails appointing a single Transaction Adviser, who will also prepare the Outline Business Case and the Transaction documents for each of the ports at the instance of the World Bank.

“The redesigned single-project option for all the ports has since been endorsed by the World Bank and has become operational with Onitsha River Port as a Pilot Scheme. Advertisement were placed in local and international media for Expression of Interest. “At the close of submission, nineteen Companies responded and were so evaluated, six companies were successful and invited to bid accordingly. The World Bank gave its ‘No objection’, the bids were evaluated and Green Stratus of India won the bid as Transaction Adviser for concession of the Onitsha River Port to be funded by the World Bank”.

Niwa Set To Launch Inland Waterways Code For Navigation

The National Inland Waterways Authority (Niwa), hinted that it has commenced moves to launch a code for the regulation of the use of the nation’s inland waters.

Cabotage Waivers: Minister Issues Fresh Guidelines Against Demand For Its Removal

Against the agitations of Maritime stakeholders that the much abused cabotage waivers should be removed, Senator Idris Umar, Nigeria's minister of transport, has issued fresh policy guidelines for granting of ministerial waivers under the Cabotage Law.

NPA Moves To Decongest Roads Within Lagos Ports

Mr Mohammed Nasir, Apapa Port Manager, has againdecried the high number of abandoned broken down trucks within Lagos ports, noting that abandoned trucks were impeding the flow of traffic and prompt delivery of imported cargoes to destinations. He said that NPA would not tolerate the situation and was making efforts to open up the roads.

Onne Customs 30-Man Rank and File Barrack Excite Officers

Men and officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) are happy, clicking glasses and toasting to the transformation of the service as being carried out by Dr. Abdullahi Dikko Inde (CFR), their comptroller general, who on resumption keyed into the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.

New Patrol Vehicles: FOU Owerri Impounds Goods Worth N85.7m

Assorted contraband goods with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of eighty five million, six hundred and eighty-four thousand naira (#85, 684,000.00) have been impounded by the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘C’ of the Nigeria Customs Service.