Market News

 By : Adaku Onyenucheya

. Experts task Nigeria on global standards of operations 

Stakeholders have said the lack of transitioning of Nigeria’s seaports to full 24-hour operations has made it remain underutilised, thereby losing productive hours nightly, with the resulting delays inflating logistics expenses.

They said if Nigeria must fully leverage its maritime advantages, it must operate a 24-hour schedule, like many global port hubs, citing a 2023 NBER study which revealed that increasing port efficiency from the 25th to the 75th percentile globally can reduce shipping costs by as much as 12 per cent.

They gave the submission yesterday at the fifth Journaling Port Industry Town Hall Meeting held in Apapa with the theme: “Bridging the gaps to actualise 24-hour port operations.”

Delivering a policy-focused address titled “Bridging the Gap to Actualise 24-Hour Port Operations in Nigeria: A Strategic and Sustainable Pathway,” the Chairman, Nigerian Ports Consultative Council (NPCC), Bolaji Sunmola, said while Nigeria’s seaports handle over 85 per cent of the country’s external trade by volume, their potential remains largely underutilised due to inefficiencies rooted in infrastructural decay, bureaucratic delays, fragmented regulatory systems, and, most notably, limited operational hours.

Referencing global modern ports such as Singapore, Rotterdam, and Busan that are active 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Sunmola argued that their round-the-clock port operations and uninterrupted activity allowed for quicker vessel turnaround, optimised cargo flows, and synchronised hinterland logistics.

Sunmola said Nigeria, by contrast, loses productive hours at night, resulting in ship discharge delays and increased costs that are passed down to the Nigerian consumer.

He stated that poor lighting, inadequate surveillance systems, and decaying access roads make night operations risky and inefficient in Nigeria.

He said safe 24-hour operations demand robust electrical grids, well-illuminated terminals, rail-link connectivity, and automated gate access, noting that in Nigeria, regulatory duplication sometimes causes delays, higher transaction costs, and corruption opportunities.

Sunmola said a key enabler of 24-hour port operations is uninterrupted, sustainable, and cost-effective power, adding that Nigeria may not necessarily replicate energy-intensive, fossil-based models; instead, it can leapfrog into renewables and hybrid microgrids, tailored to its climate and capacity.

He said Nigeria should implement Solar Photovoltaic (PV) to power terminals, just as ports of Jurong (Singapore) and the Port of Los Angeles, as well as Hybrid Micro grids, which combine solar, wind, and biofuel generators with battery storage to guarantee consistent power.

“Studies have shown that implementing solar hybrid systems in port facilities can lead to significant fuel cost savings and reduced downtime over time. For Nigeria, this translates into both financial savings and enhanced reliability,” he stated.

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The President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Lucky Amiwero, lamented that the limited operational hours at seaports aren’t in line with the global best practice, therefore, Nigeria must achieve 24-hour port operations to be at par with global standards

He said delays and absence of nighttime operations increase the cost of doing business, lower efficiency and elongate time-lag for activities at the seaports.

He said a new regime for cargo inspection should be prioritised with state-of-the-art scanners with artificial intelligence, especially fast scanners with the ability to handle over 200 containers per hour.

Amiwero said to ensure the nation’s infrastructure and policy initiatives geared towards 24-hour operations are sustainable, there is a need for cultural reorientation for all categories of port workers, service providers and port users.

The Head of Research at Sea Empowerment and Research Centre, Dr Eugene Nweke, called for a comprehensive review of the policy framework guiding the industry, particularly in relation to 24/7 operations and other strategic areas of concern.

He emphasised the need for the industry to reassess and address its infrastructural shortcomings, adding that opportunities still exist to make realistic progress.

On the topic of access and performance, Nweke voiced frustration with inefficiencies but urged a collective commitment to improvement, including in areas such as monetary evaluation and systemic accountability.

He also stressed the importance of deeper collaboration and consistent stakeholder engagement to ensure meaningful reforms.

He challenged stakeholders in the maritime industry to shift from the culture of blame to a more collaborative, solution-driven approach in tackling sector-wide challenges.

Speaking earlier, the Convener of the Town Hall Meeting, Ismail Aniemu, touched on challenges in trade facilitation and ease of doing business, particularly the need for seamless ground-to-ground logistics operations.

He said that while port activities may have technically commenced from the “fairway boy,” a reference to the outer navigation marker, several operations remain functionally closed.