Godwin ORITSE

Petroleum products topped import cargo chart in the third quarter of this year, as a total of 5.2millin metric tonnes (mmt) of refined petroleum products was brought into the country.

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Besides the large volume of petroleum products, the agency also recorded a total of 22.3 million metric tones, showing an increase of 12.5 per cen over 19.8 million metric tonnes handled in the third quarter of 2013,

NPA’s spokesman, Mr. Musa Ilya in a statement, said that the ports handled 4.21mmt of general cargo representing an increase of 41.7% over the 2013 third quarter volume, 2.6 million metric tonnes of dry bulk cargo representing a marginal increase of 0.6 per cent over the corresponding period of 2013, while Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) volume stood at 5.1 mmt, a growth of 5.8 per cent% over 4.9mmt over the third quarter of 2013.

Ilya said the ports also handled 5.2mmt of refined petroleum products; 277,694 TEUs of laden containers and 217,080 TEUs of empty containers representing 9.1%, 3% and 9.5% increases respectively over the third quarter of 2013. He said “In the third quarter of 2014, a total of 1,405 oceans going vessels called at all Nigerian Ports as against a total of 1,366 vessels that called at the same period in 2013 representing an increase of 2.9%.

“The total Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) of all ocean going vessels in the third quarter 2014 amounted to 38 million metric tons representing an increase of 9.8% increase over the GRT of 34.6 million metric tons in the same period of 2013.”

The NPA image maker said during the period under review, Lagos Port Complex (LPC), Apapa recorded a gross registered tonnage of 10.1mmt, showing an increase of 9% over 9.3mmt achieved in 2013. The port, he said, handled 397 vessels were during the period.

He said Tin can Island Port recorded a gross registered tonnage of 13.1mmt indicating an increase of 16.8% over 11.2mmt recorded in the corresponding period of 2013 while the port handled 475 ocean going vessels.

Calabar Port complex recorded a total GRT of 1.05mmt showing a rise of 40% over 751,553 gross tons of 2013, “leaving the port with 72 Ocean going vessels in the period under review” while Rivers Port complex recorded a total gross registered tonnage of 1.9mmt showing an increase of 37.8% over 1.4mmt achieved in the corresponding period of 2013. He said the port handled 126 ocean going vessels.

Onne Port complex, he said, recorded a GRT of 10.4mmt reflecting an increase of 7% over 9.7mmt recorded in the corresponding period of 2013 with 207 vessels handled within the period, while Delta Port Complex handled 128 vessels.

The Managing Director Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mallam Habib Abdullahi declared that the continuous growth experienced in the ports is a reflection of its efforts anchored on the need to deliver an efficient port service in a safe, secure and customer friendly environment, in accordance with the international best practices.

According to him, management has continued to pay attention to first and foremost improving existing port infrastructures in the areas of rehabilitation of port quay walls and aprons, secondly deepening our channels and thirdly the upgrading and renovation of our common user facilities, wrecks removal from our channels as well as other necessary engineering and marine works to ensure the efficiency of our service delivery and meeting the expectation of our stakeholders both foreign and local,” Ilya stated.