Saraki blames customs for inefficiency at ports

The Minister of State for Transportation, Sen. Gbemisola Saraki, has blamed the inefficiency of maritime operations at the seaport on the Nigeria Custom Service (NCS).

She said from all indications, NCS has proven to be a hindrance to the development of the maritime sector. She stressed that for better effectiveness of the maritime industry, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) and the NCS must synergise with the Ministry of Transportation to boost trade activities at the ports.

While speaking at the ongoing Ministerial Retreat held in Lagos, Saraki urged NCS to address bottlenecks in the ports for efficient maritime trade in the country.

In her view, to eliminate gridlock at the Apapa seaport, all maritime agencies must synergise on ways the country’s ports can be more efficient.

Lamenting that Nigeria has lost cargoes to neighbouring countries, especially Cote d’voire and Benin Republic, she blamed Nigeria Customs’ activities as one of the major problems affecting the maritime industry, especially in the area of efficiency of the ports. 

“NIMASA, NPA and NCS are facilitators of trade. So, the more efficient they are, the higher the revenue that will be generated for government,” she said.