The federal government has secured a £746 million facility for the rehabilitation and modernisation of Apapa and Tin-Can Island ports, according to a maritime expert.
Chairman of the Ports Operations and Security Committee of the Nigerian Ports Consultative Council, Capt. Iheanacho Ebubeogu, disclosed this in an intervie in Lagos.
Ebubeogu said the facility would support the transformation of the two ports to green and smart standards through automation and other digital technologies.
According to him, the modernisation programme would provide improved cargo-handling equipment, reduce vessel turnaround and cargo dwell times, enhance competitiveness and environmental sustainability, and increase port revenue.
He said the federal government had also awarded contracts for the rehabilitation of the Escravos breakwaters and Terminals A and C.
The Federal Executive Council had also approved a channel management consortium for the maintenance and deepening of channels serving Delta ports, he said.
Ebubeogu said Rivers Port Terminal 1, operated by PTOL, was also being upgraded, with berths one to three receiving attention to improve efficiency and safety.
He said Calabar Port would benefit from increased maintenance dredging, while McKaiva and Malero jetties would also receive attention to improve operations and facilitate trade along the eastern corridor.
The chairman said the oversight of inland dry ports had been redesigned, with the Nigerian Ports Authority, as landlord, assuming responsibility for their administration in line with its statutory mandate.
He added that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council had transitioned to the Nigerian Port Economy Regulatory Agency, which would regulate tariffs, charges and rates of shipping companies and terminal operators.
Ebubeogu said site clearing had commenced at the Snake Island concession area as part of efforts to expand port capacity, attract investment and improve competitiveness.
He said the logistics plan also included the construction of a standard-gauge, single-track freight railway from Apapa Bulk Terminal to Tin-Can Island Port.
The project, according to him, would include junction works, an elevated urban section, a bay crossing and signalling facilities.
He said the railway would reduce vehicular traffic along the Apapa corridor and facilitate cargo movement by rail and water when completed.
“Seaports facilitate the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by providing high-capacity corridors for the movement of goods at lower costs,” he said.
“To benefit from AfCFTA, it is imperative to upgrade port infrastructure, digitalise operations, reform customs procedures, develop the fleet and implement an integrated master plan.”
Ebubeogu said stakeholders had also participated in a National Single Window awareness forum for chief executives and personnel.
He added that a Port Clearance Audit workshop held on September 10 sensitised stakeholders on compliance and collaboration.
The maritime expert stressed the importance of port security, particularly in view of piracy and cargo theft in the Gulf of Guinea.
According to him, the Deep Blue Project had contributed to a 60 per cent reduction in insurance premiums, while sustained inter-agency collaboration and surveillance remained necessary to safeguard maritime operations.
The Port Manager, Calabar Port, Alex Ekine, said draft limitation remained a major challenge affecting the arrival of larger vessels despite ongoing rehabilitation efforts.
Ekine said channel management companies were now part of the port system, adding that arrangements were underway to receive new tugboats and establish pilot quarters to support the handling of larger vessels.
Similarly, the Port Manager, Delta Ports, Alhaji Sa’adu Muhammed, said the Federal Executive Council’s approval for a channel management company would boost operations and create more business opportunities.
Muhammed also identified draft limitation as a challenge at Delta Ports but said the port contributed about 10.7 per cent of NPA revenue through service boat operations despite low activity at Warri.
He said continued engagement among stakeholders would help address the challenges, improve collaboration and strengthen the development of Nigeria’s port system.
