Unlike conventional ports that are situated on a river or water channels that have access to a sea or ocean through a channel, deep seaports are ports that are built in locations that have direct access to the open waters of the sea or ocean.
Out of a total of the more than 100 seaport developments being executed the world over, approximately 60% to 75% are deep seaports or terminals, whilst the balance are mostly inland waterway ports and jetties.
Until last year, the seaports in Nigeria have always been: Lagos Port Complex and Tin Can Island Port; both in Lagos State, Calabar Port in Cross River State, Delta Ports in Warri, Delta State, Rivers Port Complex and the Onne Port; both in Rivers State.
At some point, there were five ambitious deep seaport projects that were listed as on-going by their promoters in different parts of Nigeria. They are: Lekki, Bagadry, Ibaka (later christened Ibom), Olokola, Ogidigben, Agge. They were to be cited in Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Ondo/Ogun, Delta and Bayelsa states respectively.
Later, the number was pruned down to only three, namely: Lekki, Badagry and Ibom. And out of these, only Lekki port has become a reality.
Before Lekki deep seaport opened for business last year, Apapa port had always enjoyed the glory of being the biggest port in Nigeria.
But the expansive and more modern Lekki facilities has since taken that glory. This is going by the services it offers, and the size of the port.
Yes, the two ports in Lagos have been over-stretched, and the effect is glaring for all to see. There is an obvious case of lack of planning about the future of both Apapa and Tin Can Island ports.
It is a fact that the take-off of Lekki Port is the actualization of the objectives of establishing deep seaports in Nigeria.
The rising crave for deep seaports in Nigeria is perhaps informed by the realization by the Federal Government that Nigeria can no longer rely existing ports in Lagos, Rivers, Cross Rivers and Delta states.
There is no doubt that Nigeria is in need of new and better- designed port facilities to handle increasing cargo traffic, new and bigger vessels that need deeper drafts.
As the largest importer and exporter of cargo in the West and Central Africa, Nigeria deserves to become a hub for the sub-continent. Also, bigger ships move cargo more efficiently than smaller vessels, so the economy of scale makes it imperative that ship owners will buy new and bigger vessels and these will have to dock somewhere.
Its promoters say the Ibom Deep Seaport is designed for very large vessels that can load over 13,000 containers in one voyage. They project that it will be a transshipment port for smaller vessels to re-distribute cargo from the mega vessels to sea ports, river ports closer to the consignees within Nigeria and outside Nigeria.
The plan was that it would serve the West and Central African Region countries of Sao Tome &Principe, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroun, Angola, Gabon, Congo, Congo DRC, and Chad etc.
On its part, the Badagry port is to compete with Lekki, Tema, Lome and other deep seaports in the West African region, and in the process generate about $54 billion revenue and create about 250,000 jobs.
If all go as planned, the $2.5Billion Badagry deep sea port is expected to commence construction soon. The port was proposed to be ready 2025! The State Governor, while announcing approval for the construction of a Deep Sea Port in the Badagry axis, said the aim was to decongest Apapa and Tincan Island ports and bring in more investors into the state, noting that the state government was already in touch with a contractor for the construction of the port.
There is also, the Ondo deep sea port. The port, whose approval was got before former President Muhammad Buhari left office, was first conceived as Olokola deep seaport as far back as 2004. The seaport is expected to gulp about $1 billion, with the fund sourced through a public-private partnership.
The latest is the Escravos Seaport Industrial Complex (ESIC) project in Ogidigben in Delta State. It is being promoted by Messrs Mercury Maritime Concession Company (MMCC).
The company had assured that the project will significantly open up Delta State and seven other states, including the FCT, Abuja, to international investment in trade, commerce, and industry. It added that Escravos project is modelled after the Lekki Deep Seaport/Free Trade Zone
The Escravos project is yet another huge dream waiting to materialise, even in the midst of dwindling revenue and global financial meltdown.
As much as we are in support any effort that will bring bigger ships into Nigeria, we hasten to advise that, once again Nigeria is getting it wrong.
While we are not opposed to development of new deep seaports in the country, we are however perturbed about the rush to have as many as six.
They are nothing but white elephant projects. Why can’t the state government collaborate with the Federal Government to bring life to the ports in their axis? Why seek to establish ‘your own ports’?
For instance, we expect Akwa Ibom and Cross Rivers state governments to see how Calabar port will be made more viable, rather than source for funds for Ibom deep seaport.
The two states can join hands with the Federal Government to address the shortcomings of the Calabar Port to make it viable. The challenges of Calabar Port are its limited draft, which has made it impossible for large vessels to call and the low cap of Ikom bridge challenge. These are not insurmountable.
In like manner, of what economic value is the Ondo sea port, which is estimated to cost about $1Billion. Where is the fund? Can the port survive, where is the cargo?
Available data confirm that container throughput at Lagos ports has hit two million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). Lagos ports account for almost 80 percent of the total volume of cargo handled by Nigerian ports.
This underscores the need for additional facilities and the best option in line with global trends is a deep seaport. Lekki port appears to be the answer to this quest.
The toughest of the pack is the Badagry port, which the state government says is needed to shift development to the western flank of the state.
The state government says Lekki deep seaport is for the eastern flank and that the port it envisioned is to open up business opportunities in the other side of the state.
The question is: Does Nigeria need two deep seaports in Lagos? We think the answer is No. Both Lekki and Badagry have similar advantage of natural features for a port. Yes, natural harbours are great strategic naval and economic importance for nations, essentially because natural harbours reduce or eliminate the need for breakwaters which cost a fortune to construct
Whatever Badagry can offer as a deep seaport, Lekki may have beaten it to it. Lekki is the first deep sea port in Nigeria. It is expected to become a major cargo hub for West Africa. In addition to being the country’s first fully automated port and it is largest, it represents the first expansion of the country’s ports in 25 years and is part of an ambitious plan of development for the region.
No doubt, Lekki is one of Africa’s top six ports, and its owners expect that its modernity and expected efficiency will make Nigeria a regional hub. It is also Nigeria’s largest and first fully-automated port. It has more than doubled the capacity of Lagos’ ports, which had remained the same for about 25 years.
Finally, while efforts are being made to construct new ports, existing ones should be made attractive to shipping lines and shippers. This is only possible through provision of navigable channels, effective rail linkages and competitive pricing.
Nigeria, at this time does not the number of ambitious deep seaport projects being conceived in different parts of the coastal states in the country.
