The Nigerian Ports Authority added a feather to its cap on Saturday when a Singapore flagship vessel named Kota Cempaka with International Maritime Organization (IMO) registration number 9638965 birthed with 566 containers at Onne Port in Rivers State.
The vessel, measured 300 meters in length overall, according to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), indicates the capacity of the eastern ports to receive vessel traffic. The arrival of Kota Cempaka followed other two vessels to the same port. The first vessel was Maersk Stadelhorn, 300 meters in length overall, and MV Lady Jane measuring 295 meters length overall, confirming that Onne Port in Rivers State is ready for business.
“Onne Port Complex today Saturday, April 27, 2024, has yet again demonstrated its capacity and readiness for large ship calls, with the successful berthing of a container vessel with length overall (LOA) of 300 meters.
“Coming after the berthing earlier of vessel “Maersk Stadelhorn” also measuring 300 meters LOA and “MV Lady Jane” with 295 meters LOA, this development shows Onne Port is poised to sustain its growing fortunes,” NPA said on its X handle, formerly Twitter.
A few years’ back, big vessels refused to patronise ports outside of Lagos State, due to the fact that they were shallow. Warri Port is about seven meters deep, Calabar Port, six meters deep, while the ports in Rivers State, Onne and Area 1 are said to be eight meters deep, before the recent upgrade.
Acknowledging the feat, Mohammed Bello-KoKo, managing director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), said investments in channel navigation and security have started to yield positive results in the eastern ports of the country.
He said: “This is a confirmation of the capacity and readiness of Eastern Ports for vessel traffic. This also shows that our investments in channel navigation and security are yielding results and promises to sustain the advocacy for the patronage of the eastern ports.”
It should be noted that there have been concerted efforts in recent times to divert vessel traffic from Lagos ports comprising Apapa Port and Tin Can Island Port.
As of the end of the fourth quarter of 2023, Apapa Port in Lagos State accounted for 94.38 percent of Nigeria’s total export trade, amounting to N11.98 trillion.
Tin Can Island accounted for 3.05 percent of Nigeria’s exports during the same quarter, amounting to N386.79 billion. Onne Port in Port Harcourt Rivers State accounted for just 1.9 percent of the nation’s total export trade, amounting to just N241.26 billion.
On the import segment, Apapa Port accounted for 76.77 percent of Nigeria’s total import trade, amounting to N10.83 trillion. Tin Can Island handled N1.18 trillion worth of trade, or 8.37 percent of Nigeria’s import transactions in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Onne Port handled N556.14 billion worth of import transactions, representing 3.94 percent of the nation’s total import values.
Mid 2023, the Nigeria Shippers Council (NSC) launched an online registration user guide for operators and ships, with a view to restoring sanity and addressing insecurity in the nation’s eastern ports, according to information available on NSC’s website.
“The user guide is to demonstrate a move away from manual registration to on-line platforms. This is going to reduce time and cost. It will also make it easier for stakeholders. It will help us know the people who are customers, shippers and operators accessing the port. It will assist to give out information.
“The registration of the operators will bring sanity in our Eastern ports. If you don’t know the people that are operating in a particular area you cannot manage them. The issues of security are there. When you don’t know anybody, security is compromised, but when you know the people, security is guaranteed. With this we can profile people and know who is doing what in the Port,” Cajetan Agu, director in charge of consumer affairs at NSC, said.
“The registration means so much to us in this zone. If you look at the ports in the Eastern zone particularly, area 1 Port and Onne, access into the ports lacks effective control.
“As it is now, registrations will control access into the port. Most importantly is the fact that when you register on this portal as a service provider or user, it gives some level of integrity to your business. It will aid the ease of doing business,” Glory Onojedo, director, NSC, South-South zone.
