The rehabilitation of Apapa and Tin Can ports, along with the upgrading of the eastern ports including Calabar, Warri, Onne, and Rivers Ports, as well as the reconstruction of the Escravos Breakwater, will take approximately three and half years to accomplish.
This is even as our correspondent gathered that presentations regarding the loan for the funding of the projects have been made to the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, which has also forwarded them to the Ministry of Finance and the Debt Management Office (DMO) for regulatory approval.
Speaking during the second quarterly membership meeting of the Nigerian Port Consultative Council (NPPC), Mr Issa Mukhtar, an Assistant General Manager at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), provided detailed insights into the extensive projects.
He said “the UK Export Finance (UKEF) has come up with funding for Tin Can and Apapa. We have made significant progress with the arrangements. They’ve submitted their indicative term sheet, we negotiated, approved it, and signed the amendment,” Mukhtar said.
He stated that once the approvals are secured, the NPA will proceed to non-development and non-commercial construction works for Tin Can and Apapa ports.
Mukhtar also emphasized the urgent need to address infrastructural deterioration in the eastern ports. He informed that the Escravos Breakwater, constructed in the 1960s, has been completely submerged, leading to sediment deposition in the main navigation channel thereby causing the NPA millions of Naira annually, to address.
“The NPA has been spending huge sums of money annually clearing it, and vessels frequently run aground, which is catastrophic for us,” he explained, noting that the situation has led to higher insurance premiums for vessels navigating to Warri.
To tackle this issue, he said NPA has engaged Royal Haskoning, a leading marine civil and marine firm, which conducted extensive studies and scenario modeling.
He said the firm recommended maintaining the existing configuration at sea, while addressing the underlying soil issues, consisting of poor-quality clay with low bearing capacity.
Mukthar further informed that the NPA has secured favourable financial terms from China and the UK for the reconstruction efforts.
He projected that the construction works for both the western and eastern ports would commence by the end of this year, pending final regulatory approvals.
“We will need about three and a half years, or approximately 42 months, to complete all the projects, we plan to execute these projects concurrently to expedite the process and minimize disruptions” he stated.
Speaking at the meeting, Capt. Iheanacho Ebubeogu a member of the NPCC, noted a significant challenge with the underlying pipelines that could interfere with the dredging activities
Responding, Mukthar agreed that the pipelines are a serious limitation, because the NPA cannot dredge beyond the current depth, He however suggested potential solutions, including deepening or diverting the pipelines or employing directional boring techniques to mitigate the issue.
Mukhtar also underscored the critical importance of these projects to the national economy. The current state of the ports directly impacts revenue generation for the government.
“The comprehensive rehabilitation and upgrading of Nigeria’s key ports, including Tin Can, Apapa, and the eastern ports, are set to transform the nation’s maritime infrastructure. With substantial funding secured and detailed planning underway, NPA is poised to commence these critical projects, promising improved efficiency, enhanced safety, and increased revenue for the country.
“The successful execution of these initiatives will mark a significant milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to modernize its port infrastructure and bolster its position in the global maritime industry”, he said.
