The Federal Government has admonished port terminal operators and shipping companies to adopt the Nigerian Export Proceeds (NXP) number in order to ensure speedy attention to export cargo and smoothen export transaction.

The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mr. Hassan Bello, stated this when he visited some port terminals in Lagos.

The terminals visited are: APM Terminal (APMT), the Tincan Island Container Terminal (TICT) and Maersk Nigeria, a leading shipping company.

Bello said the federal government would always encourage investors in the maritime industry with incentives and called on shipping companies to take advantage of the 90-day transaction period offered by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to enhance their operations.

Bello said he appreciated the terminal operators for the removal of demurrage charges on cargoes last week covering the period of the #EndSARS protest.

“We are visiting to see the challenges confronting terminal operators after the disruption of operation during the protest. We also want to ensure that there are no spillovers that will affect the nation’s economy, as it will have adverse consequences,” he said.

“Shippers were not able to remove their cargoes so there is need to think about it and come up with incentives so that they can do so.

“To also aid transactions at the port, government is investing in infrastructure to tackle problems of transportation, institute an electronic call-up system and by March, 2021, link the terminals by rail.”

He noted that the NSC, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) are working to ensure tax incentives and for terminal operators to have 98 per cent independent power supply.

He urged the management of the Tincan Island Container Terminal to come up with solutions to ensure the decongestion of people operating at the port by ensuring that operations are done digitally.