Thread by @toluogunlesi

I think we all agree that Nigeria needs to move more cargo/containers away from Lagos and to the Ports in the Eastern flank of Nigeria (Calabar, PH, Warri, Onne, etc), right? Lagos Ports are clearly overburdened - no doubt about that.

Here’s something quite interesting:

Things have been looking up for the Eastern Ports since 2017. Still a long way to go, but you can see a coming-alive.

The revival started in Calabar Port in Oct 2017, when two flat-bottomed vessels (200m) berthed there, carrying wheat:

MV Desert Ranger, and

MV Desert Harrier

One of the biggest challenges with the Eastern Ports is the limitations in channel draft. In layman’s terms, they are too shallow for large vessels. Need to be dredged. While plans for dredging are being sorted, @nigerianports decided to encourage flatbottomed vessels to berth.

Getting the two vessels (owned by a Greek Co) to break a jinx of sorts and berth in Calabar in Oct 2017 was no small feat - the Company had to be convinced; ship captains had to receive special training to navigate the Calabar Port channel. And then there was Pilot Mohammed Bida.

Pilot Mohammed Bida is the @nigerianports tugboat pilot whose task it was to “pilot” the vessels into the Harbour when they arrived in Calabar. News reports say he was rewarded with a Best Worker of the Year Award in 2017, as well as double promotion from Grade level 09 to 12.

This was October 2017 - when the flat-bottomed ships broke the Calabar jinx. In December 2017, Calabar Port commenced export of bulk cement to Tema Port in Ghana: independent.ng/calabar-port-b…

The next big milestone came in 2019.

In 2019, three container ships berthed at Calabar Port — the first time in ELEVEN years.

MV Boreas: September 2019

MV Zea Walawe: November 2019

MV MCP Adamax: November 2019

google.com/amp/s/www.this…

It’s great news no doubt. But several challenges remain, including the shallow draft, and also security challenges in the waterways (you can read more in the link in previous tweet). But the berthing of flat-bottomed vessels is a step forward from the dormancy of the past.

That’s Calabar.

Let’s move on to Warri Port. Here’s the big news from Warri. I tweeted this a year ago:

https://twitter.com/toluogunlesi/status/1084553678474891264?s=20

https://twitter.com/toluogunlesi/status/1084553678474891264

Next up: Rivers Port (Port Harcourt)

On October 30, 2019, MT NAVIGATOR CAPRICON, a 160m LPG Tanker operated by NLNG, berthed in PH. I’m told first time ever for an LPG ship in any of the Eastern Ports; LPG ships (from NLNG in Bonny) have always berthed in Lagos.

Also, according to @nigerianports:

“Nine (9) new vessels called at the Rivers Ports for the first time in 2019, including:

MV Zafer, berthed September 8, 2019

MV Northern Dance, berthed May 22, 2019

MV Kota Bakti, berthed February 18, 2019.”

Last but not least: Onne Port, also in Rivers State.

On August 1, 2019, Onne Port received MSC GRACE, a containership. First container ship to berth in Onne in TWELVE years, according to @nigerianports.

(File photos taken from Internet; not image from Onne Port)

And then the big news from Onne Port:

On December 8, 2019, Onne Port received JPO VOLANS (owned by Maersk), the FIRST gearless and largest container vessel (265.07 metres) to call at any Eastern Port in Nigeria.

[Typical length of previous Eastern Port ships = 200m or less]

[Worth noting that Onne can take larger vessels than other Eastern Ports, will take vessels of up to ~10m draft versus ~6m drafts in Calabar for example.

A deep sea port would typically take vessels with draft in excess of 15m. The planned LEKKI Deep Sea Port = ~16m.]

So, by & large, there’s been significant surge in Eastern Ports activity since 2017. @hadizabalausman doing heavy lifting.

Icing on cake: @nigerianports approved 10% discount on harbour dues in all concessioned terminals at the Eastern ports, in June 2019 google.com/amp/s/www.vang…

Lemme add this to the Onne segment of this thread:

In 2019 West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) invested $10m to acquire a mobile harbour crane, and position Onne Port to compete with Lagos Ports for custom: businessday.ng/news/article/w…

So, expect more from Onne this year.

So this thread is full of exciting/encouraging developments, but there‘s still a LONG way to go. Nigeria needs more Deep Sea Ports,apart from Lagos. Lagos is—as opening tweet pointed out—greatly overburdened. The diversion of land border traffic has now also complicated situation

Here’s what I know about planned Deep Sea Port developments in Nigeria - to unburden the Lagos Ports Complex.

1. Warri deep sea port contract awarded October 2019:

https://twitter.com/toluogunlesi/status/1182939679303360513?s=21

Financing still needs to be negotiated though, I don’t know what the timelines are.

https://twitter.com/toluogunlesi/status/1182939679303360513

There’s also a planned deep sea port in Ibaka, Akwa Ibom, I believe it’s a State Govermment-led project.

And then there’s the Lekki Deep Sea Port, a joint project of China Dev Bank, China Harbour Eng Co, Tolaram Group, @nigerianports & @followlasg

https://twitter.com/toluogunlesi/status/1186547312295854080?s=20

https://twitter.com/toluogunlesi/status/1186547312295854080

All of these projects need to happen as soon as possible. We need them like yesterday.

While we wait for these new developments, we will continue to hope that @nigerianports will continue & step up its efforts to develop the existing Eastern Ports and attract greater traffic.

Lemme add this, from @nigerianports