Clearing agents seek freight forwarders’ ‘village’ at Lekki deep seaport

The Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has asked the management of Lekki Deep Seaport to provide a freight forwarders’ village for its members as obtained in other modern automated ports in the world.

Kayode Farinto, acting national president, ANLCA, made the appeal during a courtesy visit to the management of the port in Lagos, on Wednesday.

Confirming the request to TheCable, Farinto said the village would serve as a temporary office for the agents to operate.

“Customs broker will not just cluster around a modal port, they must have somewhere they can call agents’ village which will serve as a temporary office to do their documentation for clearing purposes,” he said.

He also called for full automation of port activities at the Lekki Deep Seaport, urging the authority to prevent acts by any government agency aimed at frustrating the plan.

Commenting on the association’s visit to the port, Farinto said it was in continuation of its efforts to collaborate with critical stakeholders in the maritime industry for a better working relationship.

On his part, while receiving the ANLCA team, Daniel Odibe, head of regulatory and procurement of the port, said the management of the Lekki Deep Seaport was happy to receive the association, being a critical stakeholder in the industry.

Odibe said the new port, which would be completed in September 2022, was fully automated and would reduce human contact to actualise its mandate.

He said the Lekki Deep Seaport was concessioned for 45 years on build operate transfer (BOT) basis.

“The port has three container berths, three liquid berths, and one dry bulk berth terminals, and every activity is automated including the trucking system which will be operated by an electronic call-up system,” he said.

On cargo movement to and from the port, Odibe said the construction of the rail linking the port was in the works, but in the meantime, containers would be moved via vessels and by roads.

In March, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, said the seaport would commence commercial operations in 2023.

The federal and Lagos governments are expected to generate $201 billion from the seaport when completed.