In a bid to ease cargo clearing at the port, APM Terminals Apapa, operator of Nigeria’s largest container terminal, has inaugurated a new digitalised administrative building as part of its $438 million investment in port development in the country.
The inauguration, which took place at the terminal in Lagos Port Complex, Apapa on Tuesday, was in line with APM Terminals’ continued effort to introduce new innovations to help both shipping lines and landside customers achieve improved supply chain efficiency and flexibility in a cost-effective manner.
Speaking at the event, Keith Svendsen, global chief operating officer of APM Terminals, who was in Nigeria for the inauguration, said the essence of the investment put into the smart administrative building was to enable the terminal operator to become efficient in handling the volume of business coming into the terminal.
“What is more important is to make sure that we are ready for the future. A port is one of the infrastructures that take years to plan and build. This is why we should start thinking about how to make it better and get ready for the future,” Svendsen said.
According to him, the technology in the building will improve how containers are processed in the terminal, particularly in enabling electronic invoicing, electronic receipt and online payment processes that allows customers to fast-track documentation at the port.
“We want all our processes digitalised and easy for people to do by themselves, rather than involving humans, which slow down the process. On the operations side, there are better cranes, faster machines and other automated technologies that can be used to make port operations easier and safer,” he added.
Also speaking, Klaus Laursen, country managing director of APM Terminals Nigeria, said APM Terminals Apapa had invested a total of $438 million on enabling facilities such as cranes, trucks and IT.
He said: “In APM Terminals, we have led with a strong ambition – to become a world-class terminal operator. We enable access to the jobs, products, foods, and medicine that allow people to create and live a better life.
“The aim is to make APM Terminals Apapa a better trade spot logistics zone. We just have to be better and improve everyday by investing in our people and infrastructure in order to have a smarter and digitalised business that serves the needs of our customers and the country at large.”
Laursen said with the smart and digitalised building, the terminal operator would have a lot of information available that would allow it to know how many containers move at the port, how long a truck has been idle, and problems that need to be solved in the long and short term.
On his part, Mohammed Bello-Koko, managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), said the level of infrastructural development in APM Terminals speaks for itself, judging by the value addition and investment put in by the terminal operator in the last 16 years.
Bello-Koko, who was represented by Ayo Durowaiye, assistant general manager, operations at NPA, commended APM Terminals for the efforts put into lifting port operations in Nigeria, adding that as a major player in the container handling space, a lot more is expected from it.
“The NPA is engaging with the APM Terminals in the area of infrastructural expansion. It is an area that we would like to push forward. It is also gratifying to note that the terminal is also paying attention to exports, particularly now that the Nigerian government is focused on growing the non-oil and agro business sectors,” he said.
According to Bello-Koko, the collaboration between the NPA and APM Terminals will strengthen the possibilities for Nigerian exporters.
Modupe Aremu, zonal coordinator of the Nigeria Customs Service Zone A, represented by Comptroller Queen Ogbudu, commended APM Terminals Apapa for being the pacesetter in terminal operations in Nigeria.
Some customers of APM Terminals Apapa including Emeka Dimude, managing director of Blue Anchor; and Idowu Osoneye, logistics director of Promasidor, also commended APM Terminals Apapa for ensuring best practices and top-notch services at the port.
