APM Terminals Apapa, the port’s operating company, has handled over 8.1 million Twenty Equivalent Units (TEUs) of containers in the last 15 years.
Mr Steen Knudsen, the Manager, made the announcement in a statement issued on Sunday in Lagos.
According to Knudsen, container volumes in the terminal have increased by an average of 23% per year over the last five years.
“We have handled 8,134, 847 TEUs of containers since 2006, and we expect to handle over 650,000 TEUs per year in 2020 and 2021, with the majority of that volume coming from imports.”
“Over the last few years, we’ve managed to grow the business by 23% per year on average.”
“We are constantly improving the efficiency of our terminal operations,” he said.
According to Knudsen, there are factors beyond a terminal operator’s control that allow consignees to keep their containers in the terminal for an extended period of time.
“As a terminal, we want to keep dwell time as low as possible.”
“However, there are processes in place over which we have no direct control.”
“These include customs clearance processes as well as those of other government agencies such as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the Standards Organization of Nigeria, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, and so on.”
“These agencies must approve cargo movement out of the port,” he explained.
He stated that the more in sync these processes could be, the faster cargoes could move through the terminal, lowering importer costs.
According to the manager, another factor influencing cargo flow was the Naira’s exchange rate to the US dollar.
He claimed that the exchange rate was beginning to harm Nigerian importers.
He stated that APM Terminals Apapa was doing everything possible to be the preferred logistics gateway into the Nigerian economy by offering world-class services.
“World-class services mean that shipping lines that come in get a consistent and cost-effective product; that is, we handle their vessels quickly, which translates into lower import and export costs.”
“For Nigerian importers and exporters, it means that our efficiency on the waterfront allows us to be cost-effective in terms of facilitating their trade back into the market,” he explained.
“For our employees, it means that we are the preferred employer; that we consistently provide the best facilities and safe operations so that they can have long-term employment with us, develop themselves, and go home safely at the end of the day,” he explained.
APM Terminals Apapa has spent over $438 million on equipment, facilities, and other aspects of its operations.