The concessionaire of the Apapa Container Terminal, APM Terminals Apapa Limited, has spent about $179m on the acquisition of cargo handling equipment and infrastructure development at the terminal since it took over the management of the port in 2006.
Head of Public Communications, Bureau of Public Enterprises, Mr. Chigbo Anichebe, said this was disclosed by the Managing Director of APMT, Mr. Martin Dirks, when members of the agency’s post-privatisation monitoring team visited the Apapa Container Terminal.
Anichebe said in a statement made available to our correspondent in Abuja on Monday, that Dirks also disclosed that cargo throughput had increased from about 280,000 in 2006, to about 545,000 in 2008, while the vessel turn round time had improved from about 170 hours in 2006 to 59.4 hours in 2009.
He had told the delegation, “Manpower development is critical to our success on the terminal. We are actively implementing the ‘Shadow Management Programme’ where local talents are supported and groomed into becoming successors to our out-going expatriates.”
On health, safety and environment record, the the managing director noted that the terminal had attained a record 236 days without lost time incident.
He said APM was working to ensure that Lagos became the shipping hub in the West and Central Africa sub regions, adding that of the 55 terminals operated by APM worldwide, Apapa was one of the three training hubs.
