THE the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has decentralized the issuance of approval for transit cargoes with a view to facilitating the quick movement of these categories cargoes through Nigerian ports and assist goveremnt to regain its lost transit cargo businesses.
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council Mr. Hassan Bello in an interview with Vanguard said that its collaboration with the Customs has led to the decentralization of the of the issuance of the document.
Before now, issuance of transit document for the movement of cargo out Lagos port was approved only at the Headquarters of the Customs service.
The document, according to boss of the council can now be issued in Lagos and other Customs formation across the country.
Bello also said that Nigeria has over the years lost these transit cargoes to ports of neighbouring countries adding that the government has commenced moves to reclaim these businesses back.
The council boss explained that the Inland Container Depots, ICDs will play a crucial role in the movement of these cargoes as most of imports will be destined to the ICDs before the or onward movement to their country of destination.
For this reason, a survey to determine the cost and time to transport goods from Lagos through Kano to Jibiya (a border town between Nigeria and Niger) was conducted by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, CILT.
The survey, otherwise known as the LAKAJI (Lagos, Kano Jibiya) project also determined the number of days for cargoes to be transported to their final destination.
Speaking to Vanguard on the development, the Vice President (West) of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Logistics, CILT, Dr. Alban Igwe told Vanguard apart from the involvement of Customs, other agencies like the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, the haulage companies, freight forwarders and other stakeholders that will assist the movement of transit cargo to their destination.
Igwe said that the issue of transit cargo is beyond port competitiveness adding that logistics is a major factor that will enhance the smooth movement of these cargoes.
He expanded that in order to streamline clearance at the border, there is a need to have a single window cargo clearance centre create a container tracking system with electronic dashboard to enable customs monitor clearance process.
The CILT boss lamented the cost of movement the non-integration of the trade process and multiple police check points that may impede the success of reclaiming lost transit cargoes back to Nigeria.
