By GODFREY BIVBERE
Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA has attributed its inability to dredge the channel leading to the ports in Lagos further than 13.5 meters to the nature of the port.

General Managing in charge of Public Affairs of the NPA, Chief Michael Ajayi, told Vanguard in his office over the weekend that the quays of the Lagos ports are about 14 meters and should the channel be dredged to or above 14 meters, the would collapse.

Ajayi explained that NPA in collaboration with Lagos Channel Management, LCM, has the capacity to dredge the Lagos ports channel further down but for the reason mentioned above. The NPA image maker noted that with the 13.5 meters level, specialized vessels that are bigger have started calling at the ports, especially WafMax vessels belonging to Maersk Line.

WafMax vessels were the first container ships designed specifically for the ports situated in the West African sub-region, where the water depths are relatively shallow, and also the largest in the trade. They are replacing ships of around 2,500 TEU previously on Maersk Line’s FEWA2 loop between Asia and West Africa.

Prior to the removal of wrecks and derelicts from the Lagos channels, as well as its dredging, the largest container-ships Nigerian ports could handle were about 3,500 TEU. However, the WafMax vessels with a shallow draught but wide beam that allows for 17 rows of containers across their decks are able to come into Apapa almost fully laden.

Ajayi pointed that the shallow nature of the Lagos ports makes the Authority’s drive for the construction of deep seaports in Lekki and Badagry very necessary. He noted that with the deep sea ports, the problem of shallow nature does not arise.

Ajayi said that NPA will give the necessary support in making the nation’s ports work better.