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Towards Greater Productivity: APM Terminals Apapa Graduates 175 Lean Practitioners

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Towards Greater Productivity: APM Terminals Apapa Graduates 175 Lean Practitioners

Some employees of APM Terminals Apapa at their Level 3 Lean Academy graduation.

… Says method aims primarily, at reducing times within the production system***

One hundred and seventy-five (175) employees of APM Terminals Apapa have graduated as Lean Practitioners since the start of the Lean Academy in 2019.

Lean thinking is a transformational framework that provides a new way to organise human activities to deliver more benefits to society and value to individuals while eliminating waste.

Derived from Toyota’s 1930 operating model “The Toyota Way”, the philosophy is based on a Lean manufacturing method aimed primarily at reducing times within the production system as well as response times from suppliers and to customers.

Apapa’s Lean practitioners are expected to take the lead in introducing innovative solutions to terminal operations with the goal of improving efficiency and customer service.

APM Terminals Apapa is transformed by re-tooling and re-educating employees to eliminate waste, boost productivity and promote innovation every day.

Martin Kjeldsen, Way of Working (WoW) Project Manager, says “Our employees play a central role in our transformation.

Some employees of APM Terminals Apapa at their Level 3 Lean Academy graduation.

They are the ones who will make Apapa a great place to work through involvement and engagement within our Way of Working, through a high level of Lean education, a Lean mindset and Kaizens – for immediate, real results and long-term sustainable impact.”

In the past years, the terminal worked extensively on the identification of talent at Apapa to support the future Lean journey and build relations within the Apapa team to ensure cross-functional collaboration.

Looking back at 2021, Jan Jensen, Way of Working (WoW) Project Manager, reflects on the Apapa progress, “The end of 2021 showed that we are on the right Lean path in Apapa.

Lean training and coaching are now showing more engagement and more willingness to learn how to use the Lean tools to improve our daily work-life balance.

We are beginning to see the result around the terminal where employees start and execute their own team Kaizens to improve their processes and the way they perform their daily work.”

Martin Kjeldsen adds, “Practicing Lean requires a changed mindset from running the business to improving the business, helping us preventing fire-fighting in our day-to-day job.

It’s not easy, but it is manageable if we set our minds to it.

If we invest heavily in WoW and celebrate our successes.”

A major milestone in the terminal’s Lean journey is the introduction of Practical WoW Coaches.

This is a dedicated stand-alone role with the objective of strengthening APM Terminals Apapa’s Lean capabilities and knowledge of WoW tools.

The introduction of Practical WoW Coaches has been a dream for Martin since he joined APM Terminals in 2018. “If you can dream it, you can do it,” says Martin.

Jan Jensen, APM Terminals Way of Working (WoW) Project Manager (left) presents the Level 3 Lean Academy certificate to APM Terminals Nigeria Country Manager, Klaus Laursen.

A practical WoW Coach, Victor Enegide, describes Lean as a systematic way of eliminating waste while focusing on individual development.

He says, “To us, as employees, it gives a better understanding of what we do on a day-to-day basis.

It also makes us understand that we shouldn’t let good get in the way of better.

“Its benefit to operation is the elimination of waste, improvement of truck turnaround time and better customer satisfaction. It also reduces bottlenecks to enable the process to flow easily.”

Operations Training Superintendent, Chigozie Mbanefo, describes consistency – and not intensity – as a key factor in Lean.

He says: “When thinking about improvements, you don’t have to start with big steps.

Little steps, when taken consistently, can amount to so much over time.

It doesn’t have to be big to make a difference.”

Jan Jensen adds, “It is a learning path, and it takes time to change Lean culture in an environment where we also need to run a business, once we learn how to plan, how to use Lean and execute Lean Kaizen we will experience that the Lean methodology will improve our business and our work-life balance. We see waste – and we remove it!”

 

 

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NAMTOP: LASTMA Urges Maritime Truck Drivers To Tackle Breakdowns

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More Trouble for Sanwo-Olu: Election Tribunal orders substituted service over Petition

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has urged the Nexus Association of Maritime Truck Operators (NAMTOP) to acquire private tow trucks to tackle breakdowns swiftly.

The General Manager, LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said this when NAMTOP officials paid the agency’s management a courtesy visit on Tuesday in Lagos.

Bakare-Oki said the aim was to foster synergy and cooperation between the two agencies.

The LASTMA GM, represented by the Director of Logistics and Engineering, Mr Jubril Oshodi, assured the association of a harmonious relationship.

“This will enable the association to liaise with all zonal heads to ensure swift evacuation of trucks whenever breakdowns occur,” he said.

The LASTMA boss said his tenure would centre on repositioning and reorganising the agency for professional service delivery to the motoring public with empathy.

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Oyetola Inaugurates 4.8km Road, Mooring Boats At Onne

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…Says the road symbolizes the Ministry’s commitment to make the port more viable

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola on Tuesday, inaugurated a 4.8km road “D” project and six mooring boats at the Onne Port Complex, Port Harcourt, stressing that the road, constructed by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), was a demonstration of the ministry’s commitment to make the port more viable.

He said that the project was in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to maximize opportunities within the maritime sector.

”This is part of the measures we are taking to enhance the ease of doing business in Onne Port

”The ministry is committed to leverage Nigeria’s maritime resources under the directives of the president,” he said.

The minister said that the mooring boats would enhance boat safety and general security within the maritime space.

Oyetola said that the Federal Government was committed towards deepening the efficiencies and full capacity utilisation of the ports in the eastern axis.

‘We are now poised more than ever to give the NPA all the support to address factors responsible for the under-utilisation of these national assets,” he said.

The minister stated that by providing port infrastructure, investor confidence would be deepened for more patronage of the eastern ports.

”I was delighted to learn that the Onne and Calabar Port complexes have met the requirements of the International Organisation for Standardisation and are now certified.

Bello-Koko Lauds MWUN for Ensuring NPA Staff's Salary Increase

The NPA Managing Director, Muhammed Bello-Koko

”This shows they we are doing something right but we cannot rest on this determination until all other ports are certified.

”I have been briefed on the growth in numbers especially for exports emanating from Onne Port Complex, and I am impressed.

”I am poised to provide the facilitation and advocacy required to grow the vessel traffic to this important nucleus of growth,” he said.

Oyetola stated that more economic growth would be achieved if more investments were done in port infrastructure.

The minister commended the management of NPA for being prudent with the application of resources that financed the project.

Oyetola reiterated his commitment to grant prompt approvals to initiatives that would enable continuous improvement in the performance of the ports.

In his speech, the Managing Director, NPA, Mohammed BelIo-Koko, thanked the minister for his support to the authority.

He said that the road and mooring-boat projects could only be completed because of the support from the ministry.

Bello-Koko said that the completion of the Road “D” project which linked Berths 9, 10, 11 and 12 at Federal Ocean Terminal would help to grow new business opportunities and increase revenue for the nation.

”This road stretches over a total of 4.8km, covering two container terminals. It will cater for no fewer than 1,000 trucks daily.

”This is a testimony that as an authority, we are repositioning for growth, competitiveness and, future-readiness.

”The road has a 250mm thickness concrete reinforcement provided for a median and side drain with high mast tower Lighting of dual carriageway.

”We are aware that a good road infrastructure requires sound marine craft and equipment, so we added six modern mooring boats to enhance habour operations efficiency,” he said.

Bello-Koko solicited the ministry’s support for concrete fencing of the stretch of land in the port to guard against any unauthorised access.

”This will also enhance the security of the investments that will spring up with the opening of this road.

The managing director commended the concessionaires for their huge investments, describing it as indicative of their confidence in the system.

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Environmental Stewardship: Maritime Experts Appraise Industry, Deep Blue Project

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…As OAF Boss, Olaitan Williams harps on the need to further protect the Planet 

She has a vision: refocusing the youths, particularly the Nigerian girl into the nation’s maritime industry. Her modus operandi is simple: encouraging, motivating and redirecting every pupil and student’s interest towards productive pursuits in marine terrain.

She is probably today, Nigeria’s most consistent and committed promoter of youths’ education in the marine and blue economy.

The Chief Executive Officer of Ocean Ambassadors Foundation OAF, Mrs. Violet Olaitan Williams does not need much introduction in terms of her relevance and mindset for creating the desired conditions for mental and attitudinal development of the Nigerian child, particularly in Lagos State.

Lieutenant Commodore A.A Makinwa

Several times, she has ‘dragged’ students of several secondary schools in Lagos, for a day-out at Sea. 

OAF, redirecting students’ interest into the maritime terrain, at an early age…

During such periods, the lucky beneficiaries were sufficiently exposed, to jobs in the marine and blue economy sector; as well as the vital courses to pursue, in order to realise such dreams.

Only recently, she selflessly embarked on a costly documentary to meaningfully draw attention to EHINGBETI, the nucleus of the Lagos relevance as Nigeria’s most celebrated litoral state, stressing the need to regenerate Nigeria, from the symbolic lessons of its origin.

Though finally depleted and sapped at the end of the costly project, Olaitan Williams remained undaunted in her commitment to the promotion of a cause she truly believed in.

It is like, having lived her childhood days beside the shores of Lagos, she had prudently identified areas she is convinced, early and right exposures of the youths, could transform many of them, tomorrow, into job creators.

Only last week, the OAF Boss again assembled some experts to a ‘Blue Talents Career Talk’ in Lagos, to educate, impact and, enlighten students of several secondary schools, on the importance of the Ocean, the Marine and the Blue economy; the current Government’s efforts at harnessing it’s economic endowment, as well as the need to more properly, protect it.

Students learn better, by seeing it as it is…

Speaking at the occasion, a top naval officer, Lieutenant Commodore A.A Makinwa stressed the need for maritime industry Stakeholders to commend the Federal Government for initiating the Integrated National Security and Waterways Infrastructure, otherwise known as ‘the Deep Blue Project’. 

Lieutenant Commodore A.A Makinwa of the Nigerian Navy who made the call at the Blue Talents Career Talk in Lagos said the Deep Blue Project is such that accommodates almost every maritime security architecture such as NIMASA, NPA, DSS and, even the Marine Police. 

The Ocean Ambassadors Foundation CEO, Violet Olaitan Williams

According to him, “it is whole of the nation’s business and not just limited to the Nigeria Army, Navy or Airforce alone”. 

He mentioned different security agencies, identified their relevance in the security and safety web; and lauded them for the safety of the communities.

In his remark, the Guest Speaker, Engr. Jamiu Badmos while admonishing maritime security personnel not to rest on their oars also said: “You play a lot of roles in the saving of lives of the people and that is why security and safety have links.

“In security, you protect the vessel from any external aggression and the people inside the vessel but in safety, you look more on the people inside the vessel and how to protect them” Badmos stressed. 

Earlier in her speech, Violet Olaitan Williams while welcoming participants at the well-attended event, stated that “by embracing a culture of Safety, Responsibility and Environmental stewardship, you can also ensure a brighter future for the planet and all who call it home!”. 

ALSO READ: BLUE Economy: Synergise With FME, Create Future for Girl Child, Informed Delegates urge Oyetola

The topic for this year’s Blue Talents Career Talk organized by Ocean Ambassadors Foundation was “An Overview of Safety and Security in the Maritime and Blue Economy” with a special focus on goals 3, 8, 14; and 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals.

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