More and more ships laden with festivity cargoes are sailing into the nation’s sea ports, as the calendar counts down to 48 days to Christmas day, the Christian celebration of the birth of Christ Jesus.
Cosequently, the Tin-Can and Apapa ports in Lagos are experiencing heightened activity for businesses along the shipping value chain. These include clearing agents, stevedoring and transporting.
Top on the list of goods being imported are cargoes classified as fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), which include exotic foods, beverages, fire-crackers, shoes and clothes, Christmas trees and other decorative items.
Many of these categories of commodities go into packaging of hampers for Christmas gifts, domestic use and decoration of homes and public places.
Others commodities include used vehicles, electronics, food items, such as rice, wheat and frozen foods, many of which will go into domestic use and for ceremonies that usually take place at Christmas.
Currently, Apapa metropolis, which houses the two major economic gateways, the Apapa and Tin-Can Island seaports, is witnessing stepped up activity, as ships arrive to discharge their cargoes.
“In preparation for the upcoming yuletide season, there has been an increase in the volume importation of conventional goods into the country. However, importers are foot-dragging in clearing their goods from the ports due to the slowdown of activities in the economy,” said Tony Anakebe, managing director of Gold-Link Investment Limited, a clearing and forwarding company.
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He observed however that the roads leading into and out of Apapa were bad and were causing traffick gridlocks and slowing down business.
Over 65 ship loads of various imported goods are billed to berth at the Apapa port before the end of November, revealed the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) daily shipping position. The commodities include containerised cargoes, general cargo, used vehicles, rice, frozen fish, bulk wheat, sugar, gypsum and refined petroleum products , among others.
The shipping position further revealed that 24 ships are expected to discharge about 12,604 twenty equivalent units (TEUs) of containers carrying industrial raw materials, semi-finished and finished electronics and different kinds of consumable goods.
Another five ships are expected to discharge over 65,907.38 metric tons of general cargoes; three ships to discharge 92,972 metric tons of premium motor spirit (PMS); one ship to bring in 33,000 metric tons of dual purpose kerosene (DPK) while two tanker vessels are to berth with 26,000 metric tons of automated gas oil (AGO).
In addition, six ships are to berth with 122,656 metric tons of bulk rice, while another five ships are expected to bring 140,061.445 metric tons of bulk wheat, both for household and ceremonial use, especially this Christmas season, among other expected cargoes.
Remi Mohammed, a Lagos based importer, confirmed to our correspondent that importers have started taking delivery of goods for Christmas. Mohammed observed that business and diaspora groups typically target Christmas to ship in festivity cargoes.
He further highlighted the need for terminal operators and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to effectively fast-track cargo clearance and the delivery of cargo throughout during the festive period.
AMAKA ANAGOR
