Indigenous barge operators in Nigeria have called on President Bola Tinubu to address the denial of access to berthing windows at Apapa Port by foreign terminal operators.

It also flayed rising charges that have pushed barge logistics costs up by 300 per cent.

They particularly criticise the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council’s (NSC) neglect of their core mandate to oversee equitable berth access, enforce concession terms and promote local content, allowing foreigners to sideline the $3 billion local investment business and violate port regulations.

Speaking on the situation, the National President, Barge Operators Association of Nigeria (BOAN), Olubunmi Olumekun, decried the crippling escalation in terminal handling charges that has made barge haulage economically unviable.

Olumekun further criticised the NPA for allowing the unchecked hikes in terminal handling charges that jumped from N50,000 to nearly N300,000, a 300 per cent increase, rendering operators unable to compete with road transportation.

In comparison, Olumekun said road haulage from Apapa Port to Oshodi costs N250,000 for a 40-foot container, while barge now costs between N700,000 and N800,000 due to numerous costs from terminal charges, bunker, crew and labour at the destination jetty.

“Looking at this, how can we compete? How are we going to decongest the road with this kind of arrangement? The terminal operators are taking over the barge operations and not allowing local content to thrive. They are trying to determine the price by bringing their barges and taking over every aspect of business at the port. This would affect the common man on the streets and the price of goods at the market,” he said.

Olumekun further alleged that the terminal operators had collaborated to ensure local operators were driven out of business, while foreigners brought in their barges to operate on the nation’s waters.

“The NPA has failed to intervene despite repeated complaints. Terminal operators in Apapa port are taking over barge operations, denying us berthing windows and local content opportunities, yet the NPA looks the other way,” he lamented.

Olumekun also raised concerns about the common user finger jetty in Apapa, which he noted was not concessioned to terminal operators, but had effectively been taken over by a foreign barge company.

He noted that BOAN members possess the necessary equipment and cranes to operate the jetty themselves should access be granted.

Invoking international port operations standards, the BOAN President noted that maritime law mandates that every terminal operator must leave 50 metres available for emergency evacuation or barge operations, a provision he said was being flagrantly violated.

Similarly, the Director of Enforcement and Operations for BOAN, Nura Wagani, emphasised local operators frustration and damaging impact of the charge hike, stressing that it was imposed without consultation with barge operators.

Wagani cautioned that a situation where a widening cost gap between trucks estimated at N280,000 per container and barge at N580,000, would discourage patronage and naturally push cargo owners towards the cheaper logistics option.

He warned that the hike would have a ripple effect across the economy, as higher logistics costs would ultimately be passed on to consumers through increased prices of commodities.