New NPA MD assumes duty, pledges improved revenue drive

Usman stated this
at the handover ceremony between her and the former Managing Director
of NPA, Malam Habib Abdullahi, on Monday in Lagos.

According to her,
our ports are the critical arteries of the economy and it is our duty
to ensure that the operators deliver ports services in line with the
standards deserved in the 21st century.

She said that the new management would support President Muhammadu Buhari’s agenda of economic diversity. 

“We will listen
to our customers, importers and exporters and other agencies working in
the ports to improve on our service delivery to the nation.

“Anything less
than the world class services is simply not acceptable. Attaining such
height is the mission to which we can all subscribe to.

“As a team leader, I have come to add my best efforts to yours so that we can collectively achieve result for our industry. 

“We must work as
a team, pursuing common goals with professionalism and diligence,’’ the
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quotes Usman as saying. 

She added that
the new management would prioritise investments in primary equipment and
infrastructure and services with commitment to fulfilling NPA’s
concession agreement to hasten clearance of imports and exports from the
ports. 

She noted that collectively, the hard work of staffs could position NPA as a modern agency. 

“To function as
regulator, all of us at NPA must be committed to the highest standards
of performance. Let us uphold the most diligent work ethics in our
individual beats as well as collective undertaking to achieve result. 

“Everyone at the
NPA has a role in promoting best practices in upholding good
governance, standards and delivering quality services. 

“We would jointly work hard with integrity and zero-tolerance for corruption. 

As the new
management settles, we would be listening to your concerns and
suggestions as we navigate the best options for effectively discharging
the NPA’s mandate. 

“I hope and I believe we would jointly work together as one family to achieve our mandate,’’ NAN quotes Usman as saying.

In his speech, Abdullahi said that since July 2012, when the management came on board, it recorded modest achievements.

He said that NPA
under his leadership was able to achieve automation of operational
processes, infrastructural development, Greenfield and Brown field
developments and building a strong port community system.

Abdullahi explained that the outgoing management also built strong human resources through training and re-training.

In five years’
time, more than 50 per cent of the top managers will be out and
presently they are on the average 55 years old. These are from senior
managers to general managers and this is quite challenging. 

He urged the new
management to come up with succession scheme to ensure that the younger
ones take over “because you are going to miss the experience of the
older ones’’.

Abdullahi said
that his administration was proud of putting in place the Command,
Control and Intelligence Unit, adding that the administration also
installed the e-payment system.

He added that his administration automated the payment systems to create room for transparency.

“We also automated the Ship Entry Notice to create room for transparency,’’ NAN quotes him as saying. 

The former
managing director said that his administration integrated NPA’s
operations with other stakeholders like the Nigeria Customs Service
(NCS) to serve a s platform to block all revenue leakages.

“We also dredged
and maintained the water channels for smooth navigation. The deeper the
channels, the bigger the vessels that will come in.

“Nearly 60 per
cent of our revenue goes into dredging and we tries as much as possible
to buy tug boats,’’ NAN quotes Abdullahi as saying.

He said that there had been improved port operations and cargo throughput As well as deepening of the port channels.

Abdullahi said that “Nigeria is the only port in West Africa receiving big WAFMAX vessels.’’ 

According to him,
we have improved wreck removal operations as well as human and
vehicular traffic and we made available 24-hour operations at the ports.

He said that his
administration moved toward encouraging non-oil exports to see how
Nigeria could explore the possibilities of exports.

Abdullahi
recalled that NPA management sent a letter to the Ministry of Solid
Minerals to explore the possibility of exporting solid minerals.

“Over 80 per cent of containers that leave this country leave empty.

“NPA is partnering with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council to ensure the containers does not leave empty.

“With the new
set of management, I am sure you will come up with fresh ideas that will
move the industry further,’’ he said. (NAN)