Weeds, empty containers take over export terminal

Weeds and empty containers have taken over large part of the Lilypond Container Terminal at Ijora in Lagos. The terminal, with a capacity of 7,000 Twenty Equivalent Units (TEUs) and space of 120,000 square members was dedicated as export terminal for agro-allied produce by the Federal Government in 2017 with the intention of exporting non-oil such as yam, cocoa, cashew nuts, rubber, Hibiscus flower, cocoa butter, sesame seed, processed wood, frozen shrimps and processed leather.

However, it is currently idle due to lack of export cargoes. Already, over 500 empty containers are stacked at the terminal by government as part of efforts to decongest the Ijora- Wharf port road axis. Findings revealed that exporters prefer to use the Lagos Port Complex and Tincan Island Port in order to cut cost of shipments. Within the last seven months, Tincan and Lagos ports have recorded 418,471.8 tons of export cargoes valued at N112.7 billion, which are supposed to be exported through the terminal.

Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Apapa Area Command recorded 343,471.80 tons of agricultural produce and mineral resources valued at N57.7 billion, while its counterpart at Tincan Island Command recorded a total of 75,000 metric tons of export worth N56 billion in the last seven months.

Giving reasons why weeds sprout at the terminal, a cargo consolidator at the terminal, Mr. Samuel Babatunde, told New Telegraph that the terminal was not suitable for export because of its distance to the seaport, which would lead to additional charges on cargo. Babatunde explained that the terminal was four kilometres away from Lagos Port Complex, Apapa. He noted that it was a bonded terminal created by the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) to ease congestion at the main ports in Lagos.

New Telegraph, September 18, 2018

 

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