THE management of Lilypond container depot in Ijora, Lagos, has said
that it lost N500 million in the past year due to inactivity at the
terminal occasioned by low container volume.
Apapa port has experienced a low volume of imports since last year,
and container dwell time at the port has reduced substantially thus
eliminating the need for transfer of containers to off-dock facilities.
Capacity utilization at the main port of Apapa container terminal is
about 60 percent at present due to low volume.
Logistics Manager of Lilypond container depot, Tristram Denyer, said
apart from the concession fee paid to the Federal Government in 2006,
the firm has invested N3 billion in the facility. The sum, according to
Denyer, was spent on safety, people, equipment, information technology
and better infrastructure.
Operations at Lilypond peaked in 2011 with a record cargo throughput
of 47,000 TEUs; however, the company said it does not expect to see a
return of this situation in the foreseeable future. When contacted on
the lack of transfer of containers from Apapa to Lilypond, spokesman for
APM Terminals Apapa, Mr. Bolaji Akinola, said transfer of containers to
Inland Container Depots (ICDs) is no longer feasible because it adds
more cost to the logistics chain and to the importer; apart from the low
volume being experienced at the port.
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