Moses Uwagbale
Ports & Cargo Handling Services Limited, a subsidiary of SIFAX Group and concessionaire of Terminal C, Tin Can Island Port, Apapa, has set a target of 300,000 Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEUs) of cargo capacity for its 2021 business year.
Mr John Jenkins, Managing Director, Ports & Cargo Handling Services Limited disclosed this in a statement in Lagos.
He also added that the terminal recorded 6 per cent TEU growth in 2020.
According to Jenkins, the target, though ambitious, is achievable in view of its impressive 2020 performance, despite the myriads of challenges that the maritime sector confronted in 2020.
He noted that in 2020, the terminal recorded an increase of 12,153 TEUs to cap at 242,195 TEUs as against 2019’s figure of 230,042 TEUs.
He added that the full import figure rose from 109,367 TEUs in 2019 to 122,243 TEUs while the export of empty containers also witnessed an increase from 94,041 TEUs in 2019 to 96, 605 TEUs in 2020.
Jenkins said that it, however, recorded a decline in its full export as it saw a drop from the 2019 figure of 26,634 TEUs to 23,347 – a difference of 3,287.
“Despite the harsh business terrain occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, terrible state of the port access roads and some other hurdles, the terminal still recorded this impressive performance.
“This is down to proactive business strategy, committed staff, supportive leadership and loyal clients,” he said.
Jenkins further explained that in order to boost the terminal’s efficiency, barge operation was given utmost priority with the creation of two dedicated points at the quayside where the barges load and offload with dedicated cranes.
He noted that the barge operation had helped in the decongestion of the terminal.
“We now achieve a minimum of 8,000 TEUs for our barge operations on a monthly basis. This has greatly improved the terminal’s business offerings and bring great relief to our customers who have had to endure the biting consequence of port congestion primarily caused by poor access roads and the ongoing road construction,” he said.
Jenkins pointed out that with all the strategies and modern equipment put in place at the terminal, the company would meet the target of 300,000 TEUs set for itself in 2021.
Speaking on the terminal’s performance, Mr Bode Ojeniyi, Group Executive Director, SIFAX Group, expressed his confidence at the company’s surpassing the 2021 target.
Ojeniyi said with the impending launch of its e-payment and e-billing platforms as well as the huge investment in the acquisition of more technological infrastructure, the terminal was well positioned to deliver an efficient service that would meet the expectations of its customers.
