Only Automation Can Encourage Ease Of Doing Business At Seaports — NSC

The executive secretary of Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Akutah Pius Ukeyima, has commended West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) for its high level of investment, automation, and services they are offering to the nation’s economy.

The NSC CEO, who gave the commendation during his recent visit to the terminal in Onne, Rivers State, said the level of automation in the terminal was very high and was the only way of encouraging the ease of doing business at the nation’s ports.

Speaking further, Ukeyima described the terminal as one of the most modern terminals in Nigeria.

Akutah expressed satisfaction over the WACT Container Freight Station, which promotes the exportation of non-oil products while aiding the consolidation of export cargoes, stuffing and unstuffing of import and export containers.

He also stated that the major concern of the government was to lower the cost of export and import business so that it will not impact more on the consumers and the exporters but rather reduce the cost to impact positively on the economy.

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According to him, the Federal Government was engaging in implementing rail connectivity to minimize the cost of haulage transportation for investors. He further assured the terminal of regular support and collaboration.

‘’I am satisfied with the level of investment I am seeing on ground and the services they are offering and the government on our part will continue to move this sector forward.

“The government is committed to growing this sector and we must do everything that is needed to support the sector,’’ he said.

Also speaking, the CEO of APM Terminals Nigeria, Frederik Klinke, said the company strongly believed in the Nigerian economy and thus, has made additional investment of over USD112 million in operating the facility to now being a state-of-the-art container terminal.

“We fully support and want to help facilitate the export drive that the government is pushing very successfully and that is the background of the millions of investment that is seen in our handling equipment and also the Container Freight Station which is indeed one of the ways we can directly impact the ability of exporters to bring their goods easier to the market,’’ Klinke stated.