Nigerian ports receive 5,139 vessels in first quarter

Cargo throughput records 7.2 per cent increase

FOR the first quarter of 2015, not less than 5,139 oceans going vessels with a total Gross Tonnage (GT) of 61,990,999 called at Nigerian Ports compared with GT of 57,034,338 recorded in 2014.

Within the period under review, Lagos Port Complex (LPC), handled 372 vessels with   a gross registered tonnage of 9,298,761, indicating an increase of 10.6 per cent over 8,407,233 gross tonnage achieved in 2014.

In a related development, Tin Can Island Port handled 435 vessels with a gross tonnage of 12,232,575, indicating an increase of 8.15 per cent over 11,310,751 gross tonnage recorded in the corresponding period of 2014.

NPA’s General Manager in charge of Public Affairs, Capt Iheanacho Ebubeogu, explained in a statement that  Calabar Port complex recorded a total GT of 958,288, an increase  of 11.67 per cent over 858,174 gross tons of 2014, “leaving the port with 100 Ocean going vessels in the period under review”.

Explaining further, Ebubeogu said: “Rivers Port complex recorded a total gross  tonnage of 1,475,864, indicating 14.45 per cent increase over 1,288,524 gross tons achieved in the corresponding period of 2014. A total of 132 ocean going vessels were handled within the period under review.

“Onne Port complex recorded a GT of 12,768,834, reflecting an increase of 12.99 per cent over 11,300,433 gross tons recorded in the corresponding period of 2014 with 1,025 vessels handled within the period. Delta Port Complex recorded 1,643,346 gross tons, with 2,816 vessels handled. The gross tonnage of crude oil tankers recorded within the period showed a 12.21 per cent increase over first quarter of 2014”.

Meanwhile, cargo throughput  including crude oil shipment  recorded by the NPA in the first quarter of 2015 stood at 49,304,407 million metric tonnes, showing an increase of 7.20 per cent over 45,994,755 metric tonnes achieved within the same period of 2014.

Breakdown of cargo throughput showed that;
General Cargo was 6, 469,022metric tons, an increase of 6.10 per cent over 6,097,318metric tons in the same period of 2014 while Dry Bulk Cargo stood at 2,276,358 metric tonnes;
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) shipment was 5,545,946metric tons showing a Growth of 0.37 per cent over 5,525,494 metric tons figure of 2014;
efined Petroleum products stood at 4,300,852 metric tonnes, a drop of 6.77 per cent from 2014 figure of 4,613,567 metric tonnes;
Laden Containerthat passed through all ports amounted to 233,331TEUs and
Empty Container stood at 163,850TEUs while a total of 30,649 units of vehicles were handled in the period under review.
NPA explained that it has embarked on palliative measures on the port access roads in collaboration with Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) as part of measures to  avoid the “gridlock that has affected smooth evacuation of cargo from the Ports”.

The statement quoted NPA’s Managing Director, Habib Abdullahi, as saying the port had a very strong first quarter which he attributed to improvements in ports’ infrastructure.