In the wake of the “Outstanding Achievement in Collective Action Award” presented by Switzerland-based Basel Institute on Governance to Nigeria, following collaborative efforts of federal agencies, including the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) with the private sector and a civil society group, Convention on Business Integrity (CBi), to curb corruption at the seaports, Managing Director of the NPA, Mohammed Bello Koko, has pledged more service delivery in the area of transparent transactions at the gateways.

Seeing the honour as a morale booster, in a statement issued yesterday in Lagos, he promised: “Our commitment, as a management team, at ensuring that transparency governs our entire port operations value chain, remains unwavering, and we will continue to enter into and nurture synergies in this regard.”

Koko commended CBi and the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network MACN for their fruitful partnerships that led to the clinching of the international port award.

The award was on Monday presented to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the State House, Abuja by the co-founder of NPA’s civil society partner, CBi, Olusoji Apampa.

He had said the success is now attracting global reviews, as nations such as Egypt, Ukraine and India, are planning to adopt the “Nigerian miracle” model to produce similar gains in their own ports’ operations.

Apampa noted that the strategic collaboration had seen the cost of a ship berthing in Nigeria – often aggravated by unreceipted extortions – drastically dropping from $150,000 per vessel to about $20,000.

The NPA boss had, in March this year, while receiving a MACN delegation led by Apampa in Lagos, reiterated his organisation’s commitment to complying fully with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) as stipulated in the Nigerian Port Process Manual (NPPM), which NPA funded, to enhance operational excellence and service delivery at all seaports and terminals nationwide.