Vessel turnaround time at all Lagos ports is expected to improve after the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (Nimasa) introduced a 24-hour turnaround time for processing cargo manifests and issuing debit notes to shipping agents.
According to a statement issued by Nimasa over the weekend, working hours for some agency staff in the shipping development department have been extended and the offices will also operate over weekends.
“Shipping agents can therefore access the agency at all times and will receive a debit note no later than 24 hours after submission,” said director general of Nimasa, Dr Dakuku Peterside.
According to him, this new approach will be constantly monitored and evaluated to ensure its effectiveness. “Automation of the entire process is a priority going forward,” he said.
