Following a meeting with the GMD NNPC, Mr, Mele Kyari, the OPTS Leadership and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) former MD, Mrs. Bala Usman, it was agreed that NAPIMS would collaborate with NPA to establish new stevedoring rates.
While the rates were being established, the Harbour Workers Union and NPA withdrew their services from some of the operators, which required the intervention of the Minister of Transport (MoT) Mr Rotimi Amaechi. The MoT mandated that member companies immediately put processes in place to bring the Stevedores into full operations.
OPTS has since coordinated two engagement workshops with the NPA appointed Stevedoring operators in Lagos. At the first meeting, held on the 15th of July at the Four Points Hotel, OPTS emphasised the need to move forward after a three year stalemate while outlining the generic steps required to achieve full implementation within a three to six months timeline.
With member companies at different stages of implementation, the second engagement was held on the 29th of July, 2021 and provided an opportunity for member companies to engage one on one with their respective appointed Stevedores. The feedback from this session was positive; the Stevedores left with a better understanding of company contractual requirements and timelines.
A future engagement is proposed between OPTS member companies, NPA and Stevedores to further progress the issue.