The ambitious removal of wrecks and derelicts that were hitherto inhibiting safe navigation into Lagos harbours has started yielding results as the port is expecting a 4,000 TEU vessel at the APM Terminal.
This feat which is aimed at gradually moving Nigerian ports to its desired hub port status is manifesting courtesy of achieving a draught of 11.5 metres in Lagos port.
The commencement of the N3.6Billion wrecks removal exercise which was flagged-off last November has made the approaches to Lagos harbours much safer and with capability to navigate ships of bigger draughts.
The exercise which was flagged-off last year by the minister of transport, Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman is being handled by Lagos Channel Management (LCM), whose operations manager; Mr Phil Glenton said last week that so far, five wrecks have been removed from various locations along the channel and taken to the dump site at Kirikiri Lighter Terminal.
Giving an insight into the exercise, Glenton said that the second phase is concentrating on wrecks along the strategic entrance of the Apapa channel and Commodore Pool.
According to him, going by the extent of work and the success recorded, Apapa Bulk Terminal Limited Flour Mills Plc could start bringing in ships of 12 metres draught.
He said similarly, Maersk Line too could start bringing in ships of 11.5 metres draught, and that the draught would have improved to about 12 metres before the end of this year.
Also speaking on the progress of work and the imminence of the 4,000 TEU Maersk Line vessel, NPA’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Chief Michael Ajayi disclosed that the vessels is coming into Nigeria from Asia.
According to him, the removal of the wrecks and dredging of the channel has encouraged Maersk Line to route the vessel to come straight to Nigeria with its 11.5 metres draught full load and drop the 80 per cent of the containers before proceeding to other West African countries.
“Hitherto, when the vessel is coming, it will start dropping its containers from Dakar and by the time it comes into Nigerian waters, it will come with about 10.5 metres draught’’, he said, adding that the positive effect of the removal of wrecks would be seen by the visit of the vessel from Asia.
“If we can successfully berth the vessel and it sails away successfully, the vision of Nigerian ports turning to the hub of the sub-region would be a reality’’, the NPA spokesman said.
Also corroborating Ajayi, NPA’s general manager, marine, Capt Ihenacho Ebubeogu said that vessels such as the one being expected in Nigeria come into West Africa with draught of about 11.5 metres, carrying between 3,500 and 4,000 containers.
“Most of these containers are Nigeria- bound, but because of draught constraints, the ship has to first go to other West African countries to go and drop a bit of those containers so that they will get a draught with which they can come into Nigeria. This is now a thing of the past”, he affirmed.
Confirming that the Maersk Line vessel will change her course for the first time, Capt Ebubeogu stressed that the vessel will turn its schedule round it will call at Nigeria first before going to other countries”.
He also attributed the feat to the wrecks that are being removed and the dredging of Lagos channel. According to him, since about 80 per cent of the containers are Nigeria-bound, shipping companies will find it inexpedient to go to other West African countries first, only to drop about 20 per cent of those containers.
Predicting that very soon shipping companies will find it expedient to drop those containers in Nigeria from where they will now be moved to those West African countries. “Any day that they take that decision and drop all the containers here that will mark the beginning of Nigeria being the hub for container traffic in West and Central Africa, this is the ultimate aim of the government”, he stated.
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