By  Ediri Ejoh
THE Nigerian Ports Authority, (NPA) has recorded an increase in the number of vessels that called at the nation’s seaports in the month of August 2011.

The monthly shipping position report of August 2011 showed that there was an increase 6.2%  of gross tonnage of vessels when compared to the same of 2010. Statistics figure made available to Vanguard  showed that  the total gross tonnage of the ocean going vessels stood at 10,026,813 which showed a 6.2% increase over the  same period of August  2010 figure of 9,437,966. The gross tonnage of the coastal vessels was 652,437 a rise of 32.3% over the August 2010 figure of 493,053.

Other performance indicators shows that the average turnaround time of vessels for all ports was 6.1 days compared to 6.6 days in August 2010.

In a statement, NPA’s spokesman Chief Michael Ajayi said that the  improvement recorded can be attributed to the on-going reforms initiated by the Managing Director Engr Omar Suleiman.

He stated that the authority is committed to  riding port channels of critical wrecks and ensuring that they  were safe and secure for navigation.