By Godfrey Bivbere

OPERATORS in the maritime industry have identified technical and operational reasons the nation’s ports cannot be a hub for the West and Central Africa countries.

Speaking with Vanguard on the issue, vice chairman of the Ports Consultative Forum, PCF, Major Henry Ajetunmobi, said that the technical reason hindering the country’s ports is their depths which stand at about seven to 13.5 metres.

Maritime

Ajetunmobi explained that these depths are highly inadequate to receive bigger vessels that can service neighbouring locations after calling at hub port, the port with depth of between 15 to 18 metres.

Political consideration

He blamed political consideration for the sighting of the present ports which are all river ports with high siltation that require annual maintenance.

Ajetunmobi stated: “The maritime business is an international and highly competitive business. So if your business practices are not competitive enough, there is no way you can come close to that hub status.

“What are the requirements to attaining a hub status; you must have the means of delivery of cargo that is almost seamless. If you have a mother vessel and you have feeder vessels and the depth of the river is deep enough to take the mega vessels that are plying the international waters these days, on the technical grounds it means that ships will feel comfortable to come to your port.

“When the bigger ships come, smaller vessels will then come and take cargo from the bigger vessels. The bigger vessels will see the port as a port of choice because your port has the draft to support such vessel.

“That is on the technical grounds. Another one is, what services do you render to claim that you do 24 hours service? Are we really doing 24 hours service in our ports? Do you deliver cargo at night? What is the record of the International Maritime Bureau, IMB, in terms of piracy and what kind of image do we have in that regard?”