*Mulls PPP option to install scanners
The Federal government has signaled intention to adopt the Public-Private Partnerships option for the installation and maintenance of scanning technology at the country’s ports.
The plan was disclosed on Monday after the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola and his Transportation counterpart Said Alkali met with the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, in Abuja.
During the meeting, it was agreed that physical inspection of cargoes at the ports must be phased out.
The immediate past Comptroller-General of Customs, Col Hameed Ali (retd), at the unveiling of three scanners at Apapa in 2022, had said that the Federal government would be procuring more scanners before the end of 2023.
In a statement jointly signed by the spokesperson for the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Ismail Omipidan, and the Customs spokesman, Abdullahi Maiwada, it was revealed that the collaborative model aims to sustain efficiency and foster innovation in cargo inspection processes.
They added that the use of modern technologies like scanners was important in addressing the issue of port congestion in a bid to ensure efficiency and competitiveness even as the CGC was charged to enforce the use of scanners at the ports
The ministers also endorsed immediate action to rectify and optimise all existing scanners at prominent ports such as Apapa, Tincan Island, Onne, and Port & Terminal Multipurpose Limited.
“Simultaneously, the existing mobile scanners will be strategically deployed to facilitate expeditious cargo inspections,” the statement said.