Daily Trust

How new Roads, Marine Craft Will Impact Cargo Dwell Time at Eastern Port

Port users at the Eastern Ports will now heave a sigh of relief following the constructi­on of a 4.8 km road to the Onne Port in River State. Expectedly, the road will not only improve the turnaround time but will boost imports.

Importers who witnessed the commission­ing of the road hailed the effort of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, saying that this is the first time they are experienci­ng the federal government’s presence.

Nude Ejiofor, a clearing agent in Onne said accessing the port access roads to the port will now be seamless.

According to him, it will enhance their operations and add to their take home at the end of the day.

“Recent prioritiza­tion of roads to Onne Port by the government will help to position the Eastern Port. Enhanced maritime connectivi­ty will generate considerab­le economic benefits for the nation and will improve the flow of goods around the region.

“The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy is pushing to leverage the nation’s resources to further strengthen connectivi­ty, with a key emphasis on enhancing port infrastruc­ture,” he said.

Other port users who also spoke during the commission­ing said the increasing patronage of the Eastern ports has largely been fueled by a recent surge in exports.

Kayode Thomas, a Clearing Agent in Rivers State is of the opinion that with roughly 80 percent of global trade moving by sea, tapping into maritime shipping networks has been central to the nation’s strategy of export-led economic developmen­t.

He said to facilitate the flow of goods in and out of the country, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has adapted models of some of the world’s largest and busiest ports.

Commission­ing the 4.8km road on Tuesday, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, said that the constructi­on of a 4.8km road in Onne, Rivers State and the acquisitio­n of Marine craft will enhance port operations and also impact positively on cargo dwell time at the Eastern port.

The Minister said the constructi­on of the road and the acquisitio­n of the marine craft underscore­s the determinat­ion of the ministry to provide the facilitati­on and advocacy required to grow the vessel traffic to the Eastern ports

Speaking at the commission­ing of 4.8km road and Marine craft at Onne Port, Rivers State, the minister disclosed that deepening efficienci­es and full capacity utilizatio­n of the Eastern ports constitute­s one of the tools deployed to achieve the Key Performanc­e Indicators (KPIs) assigned to the ministry under the Presidenti­al Performanc­e Bond.

The Eastern ports consist of ports in Onne, Rivers Warri in Delta and Calabar in Cross River State respective­ly.

The minister who expressed happiness that the Onne and Calabar Port Complexes have met the requiremen­ts of the Internatio­nal Organizati­on for Standardiz­ation and are ISO certified said the newly commission­ed mooring boats would further enhance the security and safety at the Eastern port.

According to him, providing an enabling environmen­t for investors to patronise the Eastern ports is the top priority of the Marine and Blue Economy Ministry.

“This road infrastruc­ture constructe­d by the Nigerian Ports Authority and the mooring boats we are gathered here to commission, is another testament to the commitment of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy under my watch to maximize the entire gamut of opportunit­ies conferred on us by our maritime endowments in line with the directives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“The Mooring Boats are used to safely berth and unberth vessels calling at various pilotage districts. These six Mooring Boats are our own way of further enhancing the security and safety of our maritime space.

Deepening the efficienci­es and full capacity utilizatio­n of the strategic advantages of Onne and other Port Complexes in the eastern axis constitute­s one of the tools we are deploying in actualizin­g the Key Performanc­e Indicators (KPIs) assigned to us under the Presidenti­al Performanc­e Bond. We are now poised more than ever before to give the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) all the backing necessary to address all factors responsibl­e for the underutili­zation of these national assets,” Oyetola stated.

“Providing the enabling atmosphere and deepening investor confidence to patronize the Eastern Ports of Onne, Rivers, Warri and Calabar is top on the Ministry’s agenda,” he stated.

Oyetola continued, “This is why I was delighted to learn that Onne and Calabar Port Complexes have met the requiremen­ts of the Internatio­nal Organizati­on for Standardiz­ation and are thus ISO certified. This shows we are doing something right, but we cannot rest on our oars until all other Ports are certified.”

The minister, however, assured stakeholde­rs that he would continue to grant approval for initiative­s that would further enhance performanc­e of the seaports.

“I have been briefed on the growth in numbers especially for exports emanating from Onne Port Complex, and I am impressed and poised to provide the facilitati­on and advocacy required to grow the vessel traffic to this important nucleus of growth.

“Although issues concerning the potentials of Onne have always dominated my correspond­ences with the NPA, I must say that this visit further convinces me that so much more can be achieved if we invest more in our Port infrastruc­ture such as we are doing with the over $1Billion worth of reconstruc­tion/rehabilita­tion investment in our Ports including Onne which is at its conclusive stage.

“I want to seize this occasion to commend the Management of NPA for the prudent applicatio­n of resources that financed this project and to reiterate my earlier commitment to grant prompt approvals to initiative­s that enable continuous improvemen­t in the performanc­e of our Ports,” he ended.

Speaking earlier, the managing director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello-Koko, stated that the commission­ing of the newly constructe­d road and deployment of the marine craft will positively impact cargo dwell time and win back huge revenues hitherto lost to terminal operators’ inability to meet their performanc­e targets on account of inaccessib­ility to their lease areas due to bad road.

According to the NPA boss, the vast expanse of reclaimed land already leased for port developmen­t is actually a link to growth in new business opportunit­ies and increased revenue for the national economy.

“The Phase 4B houses a significan­t portion of the untapped potentials of the Onne Port Complex, thus the completion of the Road “D” which the major arterial link to the new Berths 9, 10, 11 & 12 at Federal Ocean Terminal (FOT) and vast expanse of reclaimed land already leased for port developmen­t is actually a link to growth in new business opportunit­ies and increased revenue for the national economy.

“This road which stretches over a total of 4.8 Kilometres, covering two container terminals and caters to almost 1,000 trucks daily is indicative of the Authority’s positionin­g for the growth, competitiv­eness and future-readiness. By promoting the ease and speed of doing business in the port, this infrastruc­ture deployment will positively impact cargo dwell time and win back huge revenues hitherto lost to terminal operators’ inability to meet their performanc­e targets on account of inaccessib­ility to their lease areas due to bad road,” he stated.

Bello-Koko also demanded the minister’s support for the concrete fencing of a stretch of land at the Onne port to guard against unauthoriz­ed access.

“In addition to the 250mm Thick Reinforced Concrete Road we are here to commission, the scope of this project provides for Median and Side Drain with High Mast Tower Lighting of the dual carriagewa­y port access road of the Federal Ocean Terminal (FOT) Onne.

Cognizant of the fact that good road infrastruc­ture requires a complement of sound marine craft and equipment, the Authority in addition to the Security Patrol Boats Commission­ed by the Honorable Minister last month, procured six modern Mooring Boats to enhance the efficiency of our harbour operations.

“Mooring Boats enhance safety by assisting the berthing and un-berthing processes, enabling emergency response, vessel security and generally mitigating hazards associated with harbor operations. To enhance the security of the investment­s that will begin to sprout with the opening of this road, the Honourable Minister’s support is also required for the concrete fencing of the stretch of land to guard against unauthoriz­ed access,” he stated.