Lekki Port inaugurates a state-of-the-art scanning facility to fast-track cargo examination & evacuation.
Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise Limited (the promoters of Lekki Deep Sea Port) has commissioned a state-of-the-art scanning facility, also known as the Non-Intrusive Inspections System, to fast-track the examination and evacuation of containers from the port.
The world-class facility was commissioned by the Customs Area Controller, Nigeria Customs Service, Lagos Free Zone Command, Mrs Dorothy Omogbehin, on Wednesday, August 30, 2023.
During the commissioning ceremony, the Customs Area Controller, Dorothy Omogbehin, expressed confidence that the scanning facility would significantly optimise the inspection process and increase cargo turnaround time at the port.
Omogbehin commended Lekki Port for ensuring that the customs personnel who carried out the scanning were trained with the requisite skills to operate the state-of-the-art facility. She also congratulated Lekki Port for the enormous financial investment in procuring the best-in-class facility for the port.
In his welcome remarks, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Lekki Port, Mr Du Ruogang, described the facility as another essential facility that would enhance ease of doing business, facilitate trade, prevent port congestion, boost revenue generation for the government, and improve national security.
Ruogang attributed the progress recorded in the container terminal operations at the port and other milestones to the tremendous support received from all stakeholders, including the Nigeria Customs Service.
He noted that Lekki Port, in collaboration with Lekki Freeport Terminal, would continue to do its best to shape the future of container handling in Nigeria and beyond by bringing greater efficiency and capacity to the market.
Describing the uniqueness of the facility, he stated that the drive-through inspection system of the scanning facility adopts dual-energy X-ray imaging technology to discriminate organic, inorganic, and mixed materials, which are marked with specific colours to help identify contraband and dangerous goods concealed among cargoes or hidden in the vehicle.
He added that the inspection system can be integrated with various auxiliary devices, including the License Plate Recognition (LPR) System and the Container Code Recognition (CCR) System, to provide comprehensive information on the inspected goods. The scanner adopts the compact modular design concept for convenient relocation and seamless integration with other subsystems,” he said.
The scanning team at the port proceeded to do a demonstration of the scanning facility to the admiration of the stakeholders present, which included Mr. Olatunji Okoya, Coordinator, South West Zonal Office of the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority, who inspected and licensed the scanning facility before commissioning to ensure that users are safe from nuclear radiation.
