NPA to strengthen logistics capacity, with collaboration of Nigerian Army

…As FG pledges to strengthen Lagos- Ibadan rail with hotels, at Apapa station***

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) would tap into the world of knowledge of the Nigerian Army, particularly the logistics professionals of the army, as part of its determined commitment to standardize operations, at the nation’s seaports.

The NPA Executive Director, Engineering and Technical Services, Prof Idris Abubakar indicated this in Lagos, while receiving a team of army logistics, led by the Commandant of the college, Major General Richard C. Duru who paid the Authority a working visit, Prof. Abubakar stated that NPA was desirous of sustaining the already existing collaboration between it and the Army College of Logistics, with the view “to ensure that we benefit from the logistics experience of the college”.

Abubakar, who represented the Managing Director subsequently, offered a common area of confluence of understanding and information sharing to necessitate basic solutions to questions requiring answer in the dual-collaboration involving both agencies of government.

Earlier in his presentation, the Commandant of the Army College of Logistics, Major Gen. Richard Duru said that being a crucial hub for national logistics supply chain, the NPA deserves support from all and sundry with the view to ensuring that necessary variables can be deployed expectedly.

2. The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman (middle), the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral, Sag Abbah (right) and the Executive Director, Marine and Operations, NPA, Dr. Sokonte Davies during a courtesy visit by the FOC to the Managing Director at the Authority’s Corporate Headquarters in Marina, Lagos.

He assured that the Army College of Logistics would be ready to partner with the NPA and other government agencies in the area of offering training facilities of repute manpower development to employees thereby contributing most meaningful in enhancing the logistics at the ports and beyond.

The Commandant commended the various successes recorded by the Hadiza Bala Usman led NPA Management and expressed optimism that the Management would surpass the greater expectations placed on them by stakeholders.

On safety and security, the Commandant opined that nothing should be allowed to mortgage societal safety adding that the issue of conflict, peace and harmony are amongst the art of societal living that are prioritized into the front burner so as to safeguard the society and contribute effectively to the Ease of Doing Business across the nation in line with international best practices

Meanwhile, the Federal Government on Monday stated that it would demolish, rebuild and expand the old Apapa rail station, to accommodate a warehouse, hotel and a shopping mall to serve the Apapa Port and the seaport environs.

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi disclosed this while inspecting the old Apapa rail station after the Steering Committee meeting in Lagos.

He posited that the intended massive rail station would not basically focus on passengers but for freight purposes, where goods can be stored after clearance from the port.

“This is not the size of station we are looking for around here, what we are looking for is a bigger station and this is too small, since we have the whole property down to the road.

“The best thing to do is to terminate the lease and repossessed the land, demolish and expand the station; that way you can have warehouses, a better and bigger station that will accommodate shopping mall and hotel,’’ he said, adding that the Lagos-Ibadan rail project is currently experiencing huge progress, and commended the CCECC for the quality of work being done, both in the track laying and civil works from Iju to Ibadan.

Amaechi explained that Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has a vast, but inadequately utilized land, which needs to be reviewed and recovered for future development rather than being abandoned or leased.

The minister, however, spoke on the need to get NRC involved in the maintenance, marketing of freight and operations.

Speaking on the demolition exercise for the right of way, the Minister said that NRC has already demolished from the beginning to the end of Lagos, stating that the challenges now are water and gas pipes.

Speaking in the same vien, the NRC Managing Director, Mr. Fidet Okhiria said that work was indeed progressing, noting that in any project, there would be obstacles but determination matters in resolving them.

The Railway Boss indicated that the gas and water pipes would be removed and relocated in few weeks, saying that building a bigger station in Apapa port was feasible.