CARGO TRANSPORTATION IN NIGERIA: THE BARGE OPTION
We know fully well that the process of import and export in Nigeria can be unnecessarily long and stressful. One of the factors attributing to this cumbersome process is the congestion faced at the Lagos ports (Lagos Port Complex, also referred to as Premiere Port (Apapa Quays) and the Tin-Can Island Port) due to the high influx of cargoes that are received daily. This problem coupled with the terrible condition of the roads linking to the ports has made it a thing of concern to the stakeholders involved mostly especially business owners whose businesses thrive on the import and export of their goods from the Lagos ports. The cumbersome process slows down the entire supply chain process of their transactions, thus they incur higher costs which in turn negatively affects their business.
Port congestions can be notably eased with faster clearance processes. However, given Nigeria’s growth prospects, we must make a long-term commitment to expand the capacity of the port infrastructure. There are several investments in the pipeline to reduce the pressure faced at the Apapa Ports; for example, the developing Lekki Deep Seaport. The government is also refurbishing the rail network, with $16 billion in projects underway. Plans to integrate the rail network with the ports and industrial sectors are yet to be determined. Another $16 billion in road projects has been announced, but none explicitly remedies the congestion faced at the Apapa Ports. The roads near the port have not been upgraded.
Re-introducing us to a seamless process of transporting your cargoes with our barge operations at TGL. Our Barge operations at TGL are second to none and it has proven to be among the swiftest ways to import or export your goods. Barge is a cost and time effective means of transporting your cargoes. The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has encouraged the use of barges for the evacuation of cargoes and with our barge operations, your goods are directly moved from the Lagos Ports to our Lekki jetty and then to your warehouse. The use of barge operations for cargo transportation is not only an efficient mode of transportation for your cargo(es), it is also beneficial to your business as you would avoid incurring extra costs on the length of days your goods would have spent at the ports.
Our Barge Operations covers but are not limited to importation, exportation and empties management. TGL is readily available to smoothen your journey with our swift logistics system. Our services cover logistics, commodities trading and providing EPC services in the energy sector and other related sectors. With a team of over 50 years’ combined experience in freight forwarding, out-country and in-country logistics, compliance/documentation, and core technology services and we are more than able to ensure that the logistics process(es) of your business stays afloat.