The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has said that it would intensify efforts on infrastructure development to increase overall performance.
Its Managing Director; Malam Habib Abdullahi, gave the assurance in a statement made available to newsmen in Lagos.
The statement signed by general manager, public affairs; Capt Ihenacho Ebubeogu quoted Abdullahi as saying that the efforts would eventually translate into Nigerian ports becoming the hub of the West and Central Africa.
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has said that it would intensify efforts on infrastructure development to increase overall performance.
Its Managing Director; Malam Habib Abdullahi, gave the assurance in a statement made available to newsmen in Lagos.
The statement signed by general manager, public affairs; Capt Ihenacho Ebubeogu quoted Abdullahi as saying that the efforts would eventually translate into Nigerian ports becoming the hub of the West and Central Africa.
“The increase recorded in the first quarter was due to the continuous efforts of the organisation in engaging in maintenance dredging which allowed bigger vessels to visit our ports,’’ he said.
The managing director said that the NPA recorded an increase of 10.3 per cent in importation of refined petroleum products in the first quarter of this year.
He explained that 4.89 million tonnes of refined petroleum products were imported during the period, against 4.43 million tonnes recorded in the first quarter of 2012.
Abdullahi also attributed the increase to the stability in the oil and gas industry after the conclusion of the oil subsidy probe and subsequent resumption of oil importation.
He said that the NPA witnessed an increase in gross tonnage of coastal vessels and cargo traffic in the first quarter of 2013 compared with what obtained in the first quarter of 2012.
“Available statistics show that the gross tonnage of coastal vessels was 2.24 million in the first quarter of 2013, an increase of 23 per cent over 1.81 million tonnes recorded in the same period in 2012.
“Laden container throughput was 216,110 TEUs (20ft containers), a growth of 2.9 per cent over the 2012 first quarter figure of 210,057 TEUs,’’ he said.
Discussion about this post