Firm expands services to address trade logistics challenges

The Managing Director, ESS LIBRA Terminal, Yemi Adunola, has said the firm’s logistics facility is targeted at helping the nation address about 80 per cent of the challenges in the trade logistics supply chain.

Adunola disclosed this yesterday, during the inspection of the bonded terminal facilities located at Ibeshe in Ikorodu by the Nigeria Shippers’ Council (NSC), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC).

Adunola said the 120,000 square metres facility, which was established to address the perennial challenges facing the nation’s maritime sector, operates seven badges daily to help keep about 300 containers causing congestion at Apapa port corridor, off the road.

“The facility we have in Ikorodu is a logistics park that basically handles import, export and empty transfers from the port and to the ports. The whole idea of this facility project is to help reduce congestion in Apapa and to reduce the number of trucks that get to go on the road, our facility is 120 square metres.

“We got the facility to fit over 10, 000 containers. With seven badges, we move about 250 to 300 containers everyday from and into the ports, which is 300 less trucks that have to go into Apapa via road. The idea is that you have a one-stop shop facility for any of your logistics support activities. We are playing our part and if we have nine more facilities like ours, we can solve about 80 per cent of the problems in Apapa, he said.

Adunola added that the facility, with an export-processing zone, would help improve the nation’s export industry and boost the economy through revenue generation.

“The big problem with Apapa is one entrance and one exit at the port, even if you fix the road there is a limit to how much can go there.

“If you go through our lagoons, we are not using our waterways, maybe 10 to 20 per cent utilised. If we move in about 200 containers a day, that amounts to about 60,000 to 70,000 containers a year. That is about 70, 000 less trips in terms of going into Apapa road. We are centrally and strategically located because from here you can access different parts of Lagos state and to Ogun state as well easily.

The Assistant Director, Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Afolabi Bello, said the ESSLIBRA terminal fits into the international domestic warehouse concept, although with few gaps that can be addressed.

He said the terminal would resolve the logistics challenges the nation is encountering with export.

He said this would enable exporters to move their export commodities quicker and earn more revenue for the nation, as well as broaden the export scope.