Withthesuccessfulberthing today of MV LADY JANE, a vessel with a length overall of 295 metres and a draft of 12 metres at the WACT Terminal in Onne Port Complex, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has again proven its readiness to consolidate on the growth of container vessel traffic in the eastern ports. The game-changing attributeof thisfeatisthatthevessel, which sailed in from Majuro in the Marshall Islands is discharging 840 TEUS and loading 1,060 TEUS 50% of which are agricultural commodities Cashew nuts, Sesameseed, CassiaToraseedetc.
This is coming on the heelsof thereceptionatOnne Port of the first-ever exportladen barge containing 120 TEUs of Cocoa to Belgium via Cotonou earlier this year. This is a testament to the unwavering resolve of the NPA to promote exports and support the efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria at positioning the non-oil sector as a revenue earner.
Although Onne Port Complex has traditionally been known as a logistics hub for Oil and Gas services, the implementation of fresh initiatives deployed by the Bello Koko administration had resulted in a 30% increase in container traffic at the close of the year 2021. Whilst the historic berthing of the MV Maersk Stadelhorn, a 300 metres LOA container vessel earlier on the 15th of August, 2020 tested the navigability of the channel, MV Lady Jane has proven the capability of the channel for sustained container vessel traffic. Speaking to stakeholders who came to welcome the vesselwhichberthedatabout 3pm on April 13, the NPA Managing Director Mohammed Bello Koko, said: “What this milestone signpost is the fact the initiatives of the Authority gearedtowards repositioning the eastern ports for productivity are yielding results and that Onne Port Complex is fast becoming an attraction for container vessel traffic.