Maritime operators seek roadmap for equipment upgrades

Maritime operators in Nigeria are pushing for a collaborative approach to upgrade industry equipment, ensuring the roadmap is achievable and supported by accessible financing. The National Association of Stevedoring Operators (NASO) is committed to working with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to develop this crucial plan.

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We must also be frank: the equipment our industry deploys, the cranes, the forklifts, the terminal tractors, and the cargo-handling machinery, contributes materially to the emissions footprint of port operations.

NASO President Bolaji Sunmola highlighted the need for financing frameworks, suggesting the Green Climate Fund pipeline, which the Development Bank of Nigeria is accessing, as a potential source. He cautioned that green practices should not become an unfunded mandate for operators lacking capital. "We must also be frank: the equipment our industry deploys, the cranes, the forklifts, the terminal tractors, and the cargo-handling machinery, contributes materially to the emissions footprint of port operations," Sunmola stated.

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Modernisation that expands cargo-handling capacity without simultaneously addressing environmental performance is only half-complete.

Sunmola urged the government to anchor green standards within Nigeria's port modernization agenda. He called on the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and NPA leadership to ensure that modernization efforts simultaneously address environmental performance. "Modernisation that expands cargo-handling capacity without simultaneously addressing environmental performance is only half-complete," he argued, advocating for the inclusion of binding green performance indicators on emissions reduction, equipment standards, waste management, and cargo dwell time in all new investments and regulatory frameworks.

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The sustainability agenda must extend to the sustainability of livelihoods. NASO stands firmly for a port ecosystem that is simultaneously efficient, environmentally responsible, and humane in its treatment of those who stand at its frontline every single day.

Furthermore, NASO stressed that sustainability must extend to worker welfare. Sunmola asserted, "The sustainability agenda must extend to the sustainability of livelihoods. NASO stands firmly for a port ecosystem that is simultaneously efficient, environmentally responsible, and humane in its treatment of those who stand at its frontline every single day." NASO commended the Shipping Correspondents Association of Nigeria (SCAN) for its role in chronicling the industry's evolution and for choosing the theme "Green Ports: Sustainable Practices for Dockworkers."

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SCAN has, over the years, performed the invaluable function of chronicling the story of Nigeria’s maritime industry, its triumphs, its challenges, and its continuing evolution. Today, by choosing the theme, “Green Ports: Sustainable Practices for Dockworkers,” SCAN has once again demonstrated its capacity to both report the conversation and also shape it. We commend you unreservedly for this bold and timely choice.