Operations at Nigerian ports to go digital by 2025 – NPA boss, Bello-Koko

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has said deliberate measures and investments are being put in place to create a fully digital ecosystem in all the country’s ports by 2025.

This was disclosed by the Acting Managing Director of NPA, Mr Mohammed Bello-Koko, on Saturday, in a statement signed by NPA’s Assistant General Manager Corporate and Strategic Communications, Mr Ibrahim Nasiru.

According to the statement, Bello-Koko made this known while giving a presentation on NPA’s ‘Digitalisation Roadmap and Current Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Implementation Status’, at the 41st Ports Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA) Annual Council Meeting and 16th Round-table Conference of Managing Directors of PMAWCA, in Douala Cameroon.

The NPA boss informed the delegates that a lot of work had gone into the smart port transformation agenda of the authority, aimed at the enthronement of paperless, time-saving and cost-efficient port operations.

Bello-Koko, who was represented by the Executive Director, Engineering and Technical Services, Prof. Idris Abubakar, said the NPA first deployed a mainframe computer system in 1975, to improve its payroll management, billing, statistical and accounting systems.

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“From 1992, the deployment of personal computers was done at each port location to ease data management and information sharing which was difficult as there was no connectivity between the ports.

“In 2011, the authority reviewed its ICT strategy in line with its new role as landlord, following the concession of port terminals in 2006. The primary focus of the new strategy is on enterprise computing and heavy dependence on network infrastructure, along with a centralised and shared database,” he said.

Also, he noted that the adoption of a phased ICT deployment by NPA was geared towards achieving a fully integrated port operating system, to foster its relationship with all internal and external stakeholders, streamline NPA’s internal business processes; make use of high-end smart technologies, and record, monitor and utilise data for better decision making.

Furthermore, he said a five-year plan was being implemented by the Authority for the attainment of a fully digitalised port system in Nigeria.

“So far, the authority has deployed a portfolio of systems and infrastructure towards the actualisation of its ICT objectives.

“These include Oracle Enterprise Business Suite for financial and human resources planning; Billing/Revenue and Invoice Management System (RIMS) to fast-track billing processing; Customer Portal/electronic Ship Entry Notice (eSEN)/Manifest Upload for shipping traffic management.

“Others are Hyperion Budgeting for management of annual budget; Command, Control, Communication and Intelligence System (3Ci) for maritime domain awareness.

“And also the management of vessel calls; truck call up and gate access control for the control and schedule of trucks to the ports as well as manage truck traffic around the port corridor,” he added.

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