Barge operators using sub-standard barges at seaports, TTP raises alarm

Truck Transit Park (TTP) Ltd, operators of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) electronic call up system have accused barge operators in the Nigerian maritime industry of operating below international standards.

Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos, recently, the Chief Operations Officer of TTP, Mr. Temidayo Adeboye said the poor standard was the main reason foreign vessels do not allow barges to berth alongside their ships to drop empty containers.

He consequently called on the NPA to be hard on barge operators for them to see the seriousness of bringing in world-class barges that the shipping lines would allow.

Adeboye disclosed that 60 per cent of what is occupying the space at the quayside of the various terminals is empty containers and export containers waiting to be loaded on the ships.

He stated that the quality of the barges made it impossible for them to be allowed alongside foreign ships to offload empty containers.

“The empty containers ought to be brought by barges which should anchor alongside the ship and offload directly into the ship. But here, we have a challenge, none of the barges in Nigeria meets international standards. This is why the ships which are mostly foreign owned, won’t allow barges to berth alongside them.

“There has to be a lot of investments that would go into the barging sector for us to achieve efficiency. If NPA starts driving it and people see the seriousness, they can now collate their funds and bring in world-class barges that the shipping lines would allow alongside and offload directly into them.

“If we are able to do this, we would have solved a major problem at the port because, the traffic going to the port would be reduced, while the capacity of the port to receive more imports would be enhanced

“We are planning to work it out with NPA, such that empty containers would no longer have to return to the port by road. This is because 50 per cent of the traffic along the port’s access roads are trucks laden with empty containers trying to enter the port.” he said.

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