The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has temporarily suspended the processing of trucks into terminals through virtual parks in a move aimed at optimizing operational procedures within the port ecosystem.
The suspension was announced in a statement issued by Mr. Irabor Akonoman, Head of Operations of the Truck Transit Park Ltd. (TTP) in Lagos on Wednesday
According to Akonoman, the suspension is part of the ongoing efforts to streamline and optimise the operational processes within the port ecosystem.
“Therefore, the operation of all virtual parks on the ETO platform is halted effective immediately and shall remain so until further notice.
“All trucks arriving at the ports shall have emanated from an NPA-approved physical truck park, pre-gate, or export processing terminal without exception.
“Kindly note that all categories, including reefer containers and Fish trucks, will continue to have unhindered access to the port but will go through an approved park before coming to the ports.
“This directive might warrant adjustments in stakeholders operations. We seek your cooperation and understanding.
“Your cooperation and understanding during this period of evaluation and adjustment are greatly appreciated, as we collectively work towards improving and enhancing the efficiency of our port operations”, he said.
The Secretary General of the Association of Maritime Transport Owners (AMATO), Mr. Bala Sani Mohammed, while reacting to the suspension, explained that the virtual park concept was initially introduced to facilitate the processing and evacuation of diplomatic and export cargoes, but had been misused and exploited to fraudulently move trucks into the ports.
“The virtual truck parks were created to take care of perishable export cargoes so that they can get to ports as soon they are processed via the virtual truck parks but the entire process has been abused”, Mohammed stated.
