The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has bolstered its operational capacity with the commissioning of two-newly acquired 80-ton bollard pull tug boats to support the berthing of vessels at the Dangote Refinery and Lekki Deep Seaport.
Christened MT IRAGBIJI, and MT BAMA, the vessels were officially commissioned by Adegboyega Oyetola, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, in Lagos on Thursday.
Speaking at the event, Oyetola emphasized that this investment is a significant step towards enhancing port efficiency and strengthening Nigeria’s position as a leading maritime nation in the region.
According to Oyetola, the current administration is committed to investing in the development of the nation’s maritime assets.
“We recognise the critical role that efficient port operations play in accelerating economic growth and will do all that is required to update the existing facilities to deliver on this,” he said.
He further added that by acquiring these modern marine crafts, Nigeria reaffirms its commitment to maximizing the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement and optimizing its competitive edge as a littoral nation through cutting-edge technology and equipment.
Mohammed Bello Koko, Managing Director of the NPA, on his part highlighted that the acquisition of the tugboats is part of the NPA’s strategy to attain regional hub status by efficiently servicing domestic cargo needs, winning back transit cargo lost to maritime neighbours, and catering to the maritime requirements of landlocked neighbors.
The NPA’s strategy is driven by people, technology, infrastructure, and equipment, with the state-of-the-art vessels playing a crucial role.
Bello Koko noted that the acquisition aligns with the NPA’s deliverables under the Presidential/Ministerial Performance Bond to optimize Nigeria’s marine and blue economy by providing relevant marine technology and equipment. He pointed out that the marine crafts would be deployed to serve operations at the Lekki corridor, which has become a hub for Nigeria’s quest for self-sufficiency in energy, agricultural growth, and trade transshipment capacity.
“Data from Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals shows significant activity, with 120 tanker vessels handled in the first half of 2024 and projections for 415 vessels between July and December. Similarly, Dangote Fertilizers handled 17 fertilizer vessels with a projection for 41 in the same period”, he said. Bello-Koko assured that the commissioning of the tugboats and ancillary deployments will cater to the continuous increase in maritime activities.
The NPA MD also commended the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy for the continuous support that has enabled the NPA to enhance its operational efficiencies. “We are by these commissioning and ancillary deployments putting mechanisms in place to cater for continuous increase going forward,” the NPA boss assured.
Also speaking, Adewale Adeniyi, Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, said Customs has found it comfortable to work with the NPA to develop the export sector, automate Customs processes, decongest the port, and ensure port efficiency.
According to him, the collaboration between Customs and NPA has started yielding good fruits as the NPA and the Customs were recently ranked high by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) in line with the vision of the present administration to reposition the Nigerian maritime sector.
He assured that Customs would do all within its capacity to remain on top of ease of doing business ranking for the growth of the maritime industry.
Also speaking, Dayo Mobereola, Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), lauded the NPA and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy for the leading role played in driving efficient service delivery in the nation’s port industry.
He said trade facilitation comes with efficiency and only efficient service delivery would enable Nigeria to regain cargo lost to neighbouring West African ports.
