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APM Terminals reaffirms commitment to sustained investments in physical, infrastructural development of Nigeria ports

Funso OLOJO 
The APM Terminals, Apapa has renewed its commitment to long and sustained investments in infrastructural development of Nigerian ports.
Making the pledge in Lagos during the company’s partners’ engagement forum,
the Chief Executive Officer of the Danish Terminals, Frederik Klinke, disclosed that the company will deploy strategic partnerships and  advanced digital tools to deliver faster, more transparent, and more customer-focused services.
The terminal operator further reiterated commitment to strengthening collaboration across the maritime sector to improve operational efficiency, accelerate cargo clearance, and boost Nigeria’s trade competitiveness.
 The Forum in Lagos, which is an annual event, brought together key players in the supply chain, including port operators, government agencies, shipping lines, importers, exporters, and freight forwarders.
Klinke expressed  gratitude to customers for their trust and continued business despite the challenges affecting the global supply chain.
 He noted that many of these difficulties, such as congestion, delays, and fluctuating freight costs, are not unique to Nigeria but require a concerted, localised response to ensure the country’s ports remain competitive.
Terminal Manager, Steen Knudsen, echoed these sentiments, underlining the role of stakeholder collaboration in achieving a more seamless port ecosystem.
He encouraged customers to continue sharing feedback and suggestions, describing such engagement as essential to identifying bottlenecks and implementing solutions.
Knudsen pointed to recent achievements, such as the launch of regular rail freight services between Apapa and Moniya three times a week, which have significantly reduced road congestion and improved cargo turnaround times.
 Other improvements include the expansion of the terminal’s examination yard, upgrades to container scanning and inspection processes, greater investment in barge operations to move cargo by water, and the creation of bespoke export packages to speed up clearance for Nigerian exporters.
 He stressed that progress in these areas could only be sustained if all parties in the logistics chain worked in close alignment.
Knudsen also highlighted how APM Terminals Apapa has expanded its online customer portal to allow clients to initiate transactions, track cargo movements, and receive real-time updates from the comfort of their offices or homes.
Speaking earlier, APM Terminals Apapa Commercial Manager, Kayode Daniel, spoke passionately about the central role of customers in shaping the company’s trajectory.
He said APM Terminals views its clients not merely as service users but as active partners in growth and innovation, remarking that each milestone reached is proof of what can be achieved when there is mutual trust and shared vision.
Daniel assured stakeholders that the company would continue to invest in cutting-edge solutions, streamline processes, and deliver service improvements that make doing business easier and more rewarding in an evolving trade environment.
A panel discussion titled “Terminal Progress and Future Outlook” provided an opportunity for in-depth dialogue on the use of technology to drive efficiency.
 Moderated by the Chief Finance Officer of APM Terminals Nigeria, Courage Obadagbonyi, the session explored how digital platforms, automation, and data-sharing can cut delays and simplify transactions.
Government agencies operating at the port also outlined measures they are implementing to support faster cargo clearance.
 Port Manager of Lagos Port Complex Apapa, Lawal Adebowale, revealed that the Nigerian Ports Authority is deepening channels to accommodate larger vessels, upgrading berth infrastructure, and enhancing pilot training to meet the demands of modern shipping.
Director of Port Inspection at the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Olaniran Olakunle, explained that the agency’s automated product administration and monitoring system now provides an end-to-end online process for the registration and clearance of drugs, food products, and medical devices, significantly reducing manual delays.
Comptroller of the Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Babatunde Olomu, represented by Assistant Comptroller Abubakar Usman, emphasised that faster clearance can only be achieved when importers and clearing agents comply fully with documentation and regulatory requirements.
Director of Regulatory Services at the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Margaret Ogbonna, stressed the need for frequent inter-agency meetings to harmonise procedures and avoid working in silos, noting that coordinated action is essential to aligning port processes with broader national trade strategies.
The event concluded with the presentation of awards to outstanding customers in recognition of their role in driving trade facilitation and operational excellence.
 Many participants described the gathering as timely, noting that the momentum generated by such collaborative forums could help Nigeria unlock greater economic potential by making its ports more competitive in the West African region.
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Analyses

The invisible toll gates:Why National Single Window is Nigeria’s ultimate economic battleground

Monday Discourse with  Ibrahim Nasiru
Walk into any market in Nigeria today, from the commercial hubs of Lagos to the roadside stalls in Yola, and ask why a bag of rice or an imported spare part costs three times what it did last year.
The typical public commentator will blame global inflation, floating currencies, or macro-economic shocks.
But those who understand logistics know the real truth lies buried under layers of paper, manual stamps, and artificial delays at our seaports.
Nigeria’s international trade is suffocating not from a lack of deep water, but from a deliberate design of convenience.
The recent operational rollout of the National Single Window (NSW) has triggered behind-the-scenes panic among Port cartels, and for good reason.
For decades, keeping our clearing processes fragmented, manual, and dependent on desk-to-desk human interaction was the perfect business model for syndicates.
When cargo dwell times drag on for 21 days, those delays are money in the pockets of the gatekeepers and a death sentence for local businesses.
Let us look at the raw field realities. The push by the Nigeria Customs Service to aggressively crash clearance times down to global 48-hour standards is meeting fierce internal resistance.
Why? Because a unified digital ecosystem means you cannot easily manipulate documentation, hide illicit cargo, or demand “mobilization fees” before signing off a container.
The outcry and protests from certain freight-forwarding syndicates aren’t about technical glitches; they are about the sudden closure of invisible toll gates.
This is exactly why governance at our national gateways can no longer be left to the mercy of transactional bureaucratic habits.
Building deep-sea infrastructure like Lekki Port is a massive physical achievement, but concrete and cranes are useless if the administrative processes at the gate remain backward.
 Real structural reform requires turning our Ports into automated, friction-free pipelines that prioritize production over rent-seeking.
If Nigeria wants to survive this fiscal squeeze, the National Single Window cannot just be treated as another glossy IT project launched in Abuja.
 It requires unyielding administrative enforcement to completely dismantle the corrupt cartels managing the manual desk chains.
The invisible toll gates at our Ports must be completely demolished, and that exact same structural discipline must be scaled across our border stations and trade corridors.
The era of managing international trade with 20th-century paper trails is dying. The future belongs to the builders of automated, transparent systems.
Chief Ibrahim Nasiru, a public affairs analyst,  writes from Abuja 
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Headlines

NANTA Exco embarks on seven-day Ghana retreat, fam trip to deepen regional tourism partnership

Gloria Odion, Reporter

The National Executive Council (NEC) of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) has commenced a seven-day executive retreat and familiarisation (fam) trip to Ghana, hosted by Safari World, as part of efforts to strengthen regional tourism partnerships and expand cross-border travel opportunities.

The NANTA delegation was received at Safari World Homes in Accra by the Chairman of the Safari World Group, Mr. Ernest Gyekye, who expressed delight at hosting the Nigerian travel trade leaders.

He assured the delegation of a memorable experience throughout their week-long stay.

Speaking on the significance of the visit, NANTA President, Mr. Yinka Folami, described the retreat and familiarisation tour as a strategic initiative aimed at fostering stronger business relationships and promoting collaborative tourism development across Africa.

“This mission is not a leisure trip,” Folami said. “It is a deliberate step to implement and expand our association’s marketing advocacy for Nigerian brands across borders.”

He noted that Nigeria and Ghana share deep historical, cultural and commercial ties that should be leveraged to drive tourism growth on the continent.

“Nigeria and Ghana share history, culture, trade and people. The future of our tourism cannot be built in silos,” he said.

“This retreat is about moving from policy to practice—creating real products, real partnerships and real movement of travellers between Accra and Lagos.”

As part of the programme, the NANTA executives will engage in strategic business-to-business (B2B) meetings with their Ghanaian counterparts, tour key tourism destinations under the Safari World brand, and participate in cultural exchange activities designed to promote stronger bilateral tourism cooperation.

The itinerary spans Safari World’s three flagship destinations, including Safari Homes in Accra, the Aqua Safari riverfront experience, Safari Island Cruise, Safari Nautica, and Safari Recreation and Sports facilities in Ada, as well as the Safari Valley Eco Resort and Safari Eco Park in Dawu.

Operating under the brand promise, “One World, Three Destinations, Over 20 Unique Experiences,” Safari World is leveraging the visit to strengthen its footprint in the Nigerian travel market while positioning Ghana as a premier destination for leisure tourism, conferences, group travel, family holidays and premium tourism experiences.

A major highlight of the visit will be the Executive Dinner scheduled for July 21 at the Safari Valley Eco Resort, where key stakeholders from Nigeria and Ghana’s tourism industries will deliberate on strategies for deepening travel trade and advancing regional tourism development.

The familiarisation tour is expected to provide NANTA’s leadership with first-hand knowledge of Safari World’s tourism offerings, paving the way for the development of attractive travel packages and stronger business partnerships that will benefit Nigerian travellers and the wider West African tourism industry.

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Customs

Ogun Customs spurns claims of Smugglers’ takeover of Idiroko–Sango Ota trading Route

Funso OLOJO, Editor

The Ogun I Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has dismissed as false reports alleging that smugglers had taken over the Idiroko–Sango Ota trading route in Ogun State, describing the claims as a deliberate misrepresentation of a traffic incident.
In a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Customs (SC) Chado, the Command clarified that the traffic gridlock on the route resulted from the breakdown of an articulated commercial trailer after it fell into a badly deteriorated section of Atan Road, temporarily obstructing the free flow of traffic.
According to the Command, the vehicles caught in the ensuing congestion were legitimate commercial trucks transporting red palm oil to various local markets and had no connection whatsoever with smuggling activities.
It explained that the large number of heavy-duty trucks trapped in the gridlock may have led some members of the public to wrongly conclude that smugglers had taken over the road.
“The reports that smugglers blocked the road are inaccurate. The disruption resulted from a road accident and poor road conditions. The vehicles involved were lawful commercial vehicles transporting red palm oil for legitimate trade,” Chado stated.
The Command urged journalists, social media users and the general public to verify information before disseminating reports capable of creating unnecessary panic or undermining public confidence in security agencies.
Observers within the border trade sector noted that the allegation does not reflect the prevailing security situation within the Ogun I Area Command, where anti-smuggling operations have been intensified under the leadership of the Acting Customs Area Controller, Comptroller O.O. Afeni.
Since assuming office, Comptroller Afeni has strengthened intelligence-driven surveillance, enhanced collaboration with other security agencies and host communities, and sustained pressure on economic saboteurs operating along the Ogun border corridors.
These measures, according to stakeholders, have resulted in significant seizures of prohibited goods and reinforced the Command’s resolve to safeguard Nigeria’s economy and territorial integrity.
Maritime and border trade stakeholders also cautioned against the spread of unverified information capable of undermining the efforts of security personnel or creating a false impression of lawlessness in border communities.
They stressed that while combating smuggling remains an ongoing responsibility, responsible and accurate reporting is equally critical to ensuring that operational achievements are not overshadowed by misinformation.
The Ogun I Area Command reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining its anti-smuggling campaign while facilitating legitimate cross-border trade in line with the statutory mandate of the Nigeria Customs Service.

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