By Shola Fadeyi
The President Muhammadu Buhari –led Administration has been described as the regime that has made the biggest and the most ambitious Federal Infrastructural investments in all sectors of the economy including , the Maritime industry , since Nigeria’s Independence.
The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Buhari , Mr Femi Adesina made the observation in a document, titled ‘’Factsheet:Hghlights of Achievements of the Buhari Administration.(2015 – 2023)’’ released by his office , a copy of which was made available to the Marine and Economy. .
The document , which touched on all the Buhari’s Administration investments in all sectors , gave details of the regime’s achievements in the Maritime sector , which constitutes the backbone of Nigeria’s economy.
On the President’s achievements in the Maritime sector, Adesina said in the document that the Lekki Deep Sea Port – the first new Sea Port in Nigeria in decades, was completed in the fourth quarter of 2022, and commissioned by President Buhari in January 2023, while the first commercial vessel berthed at the new Deep-Sea Port,on April 6, 2023, formally marking the start of commercial operations at the Port.
The document stated that the Ground-breaking of the Bonny Deep Sea Port was done in March 2021; Commissioning of Kaduna Inland Dry Port in 2018; Construction of Kano and Katsina Inland Dry Ports ongoing, while the commissioning of the ‘Deep Blue’ Maritime SecurityProject,which includes importation and supply of 17 Special Mission Vessels, 2 Special Mission Aircraft, and 3 Helicopters, among others was completed in 2021.
According to him , the achievements include Launch of a new Cabotage Compliance Strategy in 2019, by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), to enforce the implementation of the Cabotage Act and Presidential approval for the disbursement of the $350 million Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF), by five banks, starting in 2023.
He said that the contributions include the Introduction of Electronic Call-up system by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), to substantially address the challenges of traffic gridlock caused by the Lagos Ports, using technology and the designation of the Lilypond Container Terminal in Ijora, Lagos, as a specialized processing and handling facility for the export of locally-made agricultural and finished goods.
It was gathered from the document that the indigenous survey and charting of Nigeria’s waters, by the Nigerian Navy’s new Hydrographic Survey Vessel, NNS LANA commenced in 2022 , while In March 2023, the Federal Government launched the first set of indigenously-produced Navigational Charts of the Lower River Niger; produced by the Nigerian Navy and NIWA.
Highlighting measures that have been adopted to improve capacity at the Eastern Ports, it was said that , there was a reduction of Tariff (10% Rebate) on Harbour Dues for vessels calling at those Ports, as part of incentives to encourage vessel traffic to their facilities, adding that In December 2017, Calabar Port commenced export of bulk cement to Tema Port in Ghana
It was also learnt from the document that In 2019, 3 container ships berthed at Calabar Port, for the first time in eleven years; Dredging of Warri Port (Escravos Bar—Warri Port channel) was completed in 2018; while on October 30, 2019, an LPG Tanker operated by NLNG, berthed in Port Harcourt – the first time ever an LPG ship berthed in any of the Eastern Ports.
The document also said that on December 8, 2019, Onne Port received JPO VOLANS (owned by Maersk), the FIRST gearless and largest container vessel (265.07 metres) to call at any Eastern Port in Nigeria;On August 1, 2019, Onne Port’s Brawal Terminal received MSC GRACE, its first container vessel since 2012, while in March 2021, 7,000 metric tonnes of cocoa was exported through Calabar Port to the United States, for the first time in about 14 years.
It likewise disclosed that the two largest containerships to ever berth at any Nigerian port, have been in Onne, in the last 3 years: Maersk Stadelhorn, 300m long & 48m wide, on August 15, 2020, and Lady Jane on April 13, 2022. 294.5m long and 32.3m wide.
