By Godfrey Bivbere

THE Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, has attributed its refusal to renew the concession agreement for the Kirikiri Lighter Terminal, KLT, given to Brawal Shipping Company to the fact that the facility has been designated as a fishing terminal.

Managing Director of the NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman, had told Vanguard Maritime Report that a bid for the terminal has been concluded.

Usman noted that the transaction was almost completed, adding that the decision was based on technical advice by the World Bank. She said that but for certain conditions put in place by the preferred bidder that were not met, the process would have been concluded.

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According to her, “There is a concept of having a fishing terminal there and they have reached an advanced stage on concluding the transaction. World Bank provided the technical advisory; we have concluded the process but there were issues with the preferred bidder where they put in place certain conditions that were not met, and so we were unable to renew because that place is a designated fishing terminal.”

On the preferred bidder, she said, “I think it was Tin-Can Island Container Terminal.”

Vanguard