The minister of transport, Senator Idris Umar, Chairman Board of Trustees, Nigerian Port Authority, NPA Chief Tony Anenih and other dignitaries will welcome the jumbo 4,500 TEU capacity container vessel,
West Africa-Maximum (Waf- Max) which would be the largest vessel ever to call in any West Africa country, at Onne port, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. It would be recalled that Waf- Max vessel, own by Maersk Line, had had a trial call at the port last December but this time around the call, scheduled for next week, is on a commercial basis.
Briefing journalists yesterday, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Port Authority, NPA, Mallam Habib Abdulahi described the feat as a testament to the successive dredging campaigns being carried out by successive management of the NPA, which he said have started yielding results.
The NPA boss also explained that the benefits derivable from the economies of scale in the deployment of such vessels to Nigeria are a prelude to the attainment of hub port status which is consistent with the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.
‘‘The bigger the vessel, the bigger the cargoes, the bigger the revenue for the country. Already NPA has witnessed an increase of 7percent in its revenue.
This is just the beginning, others will follow. Many people are interested in developing our deep seaports. The fact that people are showing interests means we are developing,’’ said Abdulahi.
He also explained that the proposed Waf-Max call is in fulfi lment of the commitment of Mersk line, operated by AP Moller Terminal (APMT) to its Nigerian customers. ‘‘It is also as a result of the deepening of the Bonny Channel.
The channel has increased from an average depth of 12.5meters in 2005 to 15.0 meters as at December 2013,’’he said. In Nigeria, APM Terminals also owns and operates the country’s largest container terminal, at the Port of Apapa, investing $200 million in upgrades since the start of operations in 2006. APM Terminals Apapa handled 618,000 TEUs in 2012, representing West Africa’s busiest containerterminal.
The company is also developing a new deep-water mega-port at the Badagry Free Trade Zone, 55 km (34 miles) west of Apapa, which would be the largest port in Africa and serve Nigeria’s growing economy. In West Africa, the APM Terminals Global Terminal Network has facilities in Monrovia, Liberia; Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Tema, Ghana; Cotonou, Benin; Douala, Cameroon; Pointe-Noire, Republic of Congo and Luanda, Angola.